Elon Musk confirms exit from DOGE, Donald Trump Administration after criticising ‘big, beautiful’ tax bill

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Elon Musk confirms exit from DOGE, Donald Trump Administration after criticising ‘big, beautiful’ tax bill

Billionaire Elon Musk has confirmed he is leaving US President Donald Trump’s administration, firing off a final message to the Republican as he leaves his White House role.

Taking to X, which Mr Musk owns, the now former Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) leader, confirmed he was out of the Trump Administration.

“As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending,” Mr Musk wrote.

“The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”

Mr Trump, at the time of writing, has not yet thanked his tech-billionaire DOGE captain.

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The SpaceX and Tesla chief executive has openly criticised one Mr Trump’s signature policies in recent days, signalling a break from the US President he helped win re-election in 2024.

Last week, the US House of Representatives narrowly passed Mr Trump’s “big, beautiful” bill, which features multi-trillion dollar tax breaks and a promise to increase defence spending. The legislation now heads to the Senate.

Mr Musk told CBS News he was “disappointed” by the plan, which he believes “undermines” his previous work for the president on reducing spending.

“I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly,” Mr Musk said in the interview with CBS Sunday Morning, a clip of which was released ahead of broadcast.

He added that Mr Trump’s plan “increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it”.

The legislation could reportedly raise the deficit by about US $600bn (AU $933bn) in the next financial year.

Camera IconElon Musk has voiced disappointment with Donald Trump’s major tax and spending bill, saying it undermines previous cost-cutting work. Credit: Brandon Bell/Getty Images

The bill “undermines the work that the Doge team is doing”, Mr Musk said, referencing the Department of Government Efficiency.

Addressing Mr Trump’s nickname for the legislation, Musk told CBS: “I think a bill can be big or beautiful. I don’t know if it can be both.”

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Mr Trump acknowledged mixed feelings about the bill, telling reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday , “I’m not happy about certain aspects,” but “thrilled” about tax cuts. “It’s the big, beautiful bill,” he said. “And it’s beautiful because of all the things we have.”

Mr Trump did not directly respond to Mr Musk’s remarks.

The bill would extend tax cuts from Mr Trump’s first term, increase defence spending, fund mass deportations, and raise the debt ceiling to US $4tn ($6.2tn).

Mr Musk’s comments highlight a growing distance from Mr Trump, whom he supported with more than US $250m ($389m) in donations last year. Mr Musk recently pledged to step back from Doge, having aimed to cut $1tn ($1.55tn) in government spending.

Doge claims $175bn ($272bn) in savings so far, though analysis questions the figure.

Mr Musk also said he plans “a lot less” political spending in the future and is committed to leading Tesla for another five years. Tesla has faced backlash over Mr Musk’s government role, including protests and a drop in sales.

Mr Musk defended his actions last week, saying: “I did what needed to be done.” He and Mr Trump have previously justified the cuts as a way to address fraud and abuse in federal spending.

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