White House Confirms Elon Musk’s Departure From DOGE, Emphasizes Mission Will Continue
In a significant announcement from the White House, Elon Musk will be stepping down from his advisory role leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a hallmark initiative in President Donald Trump’s ongoing efforts to streamline the federal government and root out waste.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized that the mission of DOGE will not only persist but continue to expand under the stewardship of President Trump and his entire Cabinet.
“The DOGE leaders are each and every member of the President’s cabinet — and the president himself — who is wholeheartedly committed to cutting waste, fraud, and abuse from our government,” Leavitt stated during Thursday’s press briefing. “The entire Cabinet is involved. I spoke to the president about it this morning, and the entire Cabinet understands the need to cut government waste, fraud, and abuse, and each Cabinet secretary at their respective agencies is committed to that.”
Leavitt reaffirmed that political appointees placed throughout federal agencies will continue the work that began under Musk’s leadership. “Surely the mission of DOGE will continue,” she added.
Musk, who played a pivotal role in advancing the Trump administration’s deregulatory agenda, expressed disappointment over recent developments in Congress that he believes threaten to undermine those efforts. Specifically, he cited concerns about what he dubbed the “Big Beautiful Bill” — a spending package he says increases the deficit and jeopardizes DOGE’s progress.
“I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing,” Musk said in an interview with CBS Sunday Morning airing this weekend.
Musk’s exit concludes a high-impact but controversial stint in Washington. As a senior adviser to President Trump, he spearheaded major restructuring initiatives across federal agencies, leading to widespread staffing changes and intense legal challenges. According to the Associated Press, Musk grew frustrated with the entrenched bureaucracy and the political resistance his reforms encountered.
Initial goals to slash $2 trillion in federal waste were gradually scaled back to $1 trillion, and eventually $150 billion — a sign of both Musk’s ambitious vision and the systemic resistance within the capital. Sources close to the matter told AP that Musk clashed with other senior administration officials who reportedly took issue with his assertive approach to overhauling their departments.
Despite the obstacles, Musk’s contributions to the Trump administration’s reformist agenda remain significant. His work has laid a foundation for ongoing fiscal responsibility, a core pillar of President Trump’s leadership.
Musk, who also leads Tesla and SpaceX, always intended his government role to be temporary. While officials had been unclear about when he would formally depart, Musk made it official with a post on X, his social media platform.
“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 wrote. “The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”
Though the latest legislation includes some spending cuts alongside tax relief and tougher immigration enforcement, Musk criticized the package as fiscally irresponsible.
“I think a bill can be big or it could be beautiful,” he said. “But I don’t know if it could be both.”
President Trump also weighed in from the White House, acknowledging imperfections in the legislation while signaling that adjustments may still be on the table.
“I’m not happy about certain aspects of it, but I’m thrilled by other aspects of it,” the President said.
With Musk returning his focus to the private sector, the Trump administration remains firmly committed to the principles DOGE was built on — accountability, limited government, and the relentless elimination of waste.