Elon Musk leaving Trump administration after slamming ‘big, beautiful bill’
Elon Musk is officially stepping away from his advisory role in President Donald Trump’s administration, posting Wednesday that his time as a Special Government Employee has ended.
The billionaire entrepreneur was tasked with leading the Department of Government Efficiency — or DOGE — a Trump-created initiative aimed at reducing federal waste. « 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, »
Musk posted on X, the platform he owns. « The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government. »
A White House official, speaking anonymously, confirmed Musk’s departure to the Associated Press. The announcement came just one day after Musk criticized Trump’s legislative centerpiece — a sweeping bill combining tax cuts with immigration enforcement — calling it « a massive spending bill » that « undermines the work » of DOGE.
Speaking to CBS, Musk added, « I think a bill can be big or it could be beautiful. But I don’t know if it could be both. »
Trump responded to criticism on Wednesday, telling reporters, « I’m not happy about certain aspects of it, but I’m thrilled by other aspects of it. We’re going to see what happens. It’s got a way to go. » Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin expressed support for Musk’s stance, saying he’s « pretty confident » there’s enough internal opposition to slow the bill in the Senate.
Speaker Mike Johnson, meanwhile, thanked Musk for his work and promised the House would continue acting on DOGE’s recommendations. The White House said it plans to send Congress a package of spending rescissions to solidify some of DOGE’s proposed cuts, including $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and $8.3 billion in foreign aid.
The Washington Examiner’s Christian Datoc joins LiveNOW’s Andrew Craft to discuss.
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