Elon Musk, who for the first time a few days ago publicly criticized his ally, U.S. President Donald Trump, confirmed on Wednesday that he has completed his four-month role focused on reducing federal spending.
“As the planned period of my work as a special government employee comes to a close, I want to thank President Trump for the opportunity to help reduce unnecessary spending,” he wrote on X.
“The ‘DOGE’ mission (the Committee on Government Efficiency) will continue to grow and aims to become a standard practice in government,” added the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX.
However, in an interview with CBS, an excerpt of which aired Tuesday night, Musk took a different, more critical tone.
The 130-day term of the Tesla and SpaceX CEO as a special government employee was set to end on May 30.
“I was disappointed to see this large spending bill which, frankly, will increase the federal deficit rather than reduce it, and which undermines the work of the DOGE team,” he said, referring to the budget bill backed by Trump. He also stated that DOGE “had become the scapegoat for everything.”
The budget bill is currently under review in Congress. It aims to implement some of the president’s campaign promises, such as tax cuts passed during his first term, which are set to expire at the end of the year.
According to an analysis by the independent Congressional Budget Office, the bill would raise the federal deficit—currently at $36.2 trillion—by $3.8 trillion over the next decade.
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.
The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 29, 2025
