Elon Musk Confirms Separation from Donald Trump’s Administration
Billionaire Elon Musk confirmed on Wednesday his departure from the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, where he led a department called the “Office of Government Efficiency” aimed at reducing federal spending for several months.
Musk wrote in a post on his social media platform, X: “As my time as a special government employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President Donald Trump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending.”
He added that “the mission of the Office of Government Efficiency will be strengthened over time, as it will become a way of life throughout the government.”
The South African-born tech mogul stated that a bill proposed by the Trump administration and currently being enacted in Congress would increase the federal deficit and undermine the work of the Office of Government Efficiency, which has already laid off tens of thousands of employees.
Musk, who had consistently supported Trump before withdrawing to focus on his businesses at SpaceX and Tesla, also complained that the Office of Government Efficiency had become a “scapegoat” due to tensions between it and the administration.
In an interview with CBS News, excerpts of which aired Tuesday and will be fully broadcast on Sunday, Musk said: “Honestly, I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, which increases the deficit and undermines the work being done by the Office of Government Efficiency team.”
The bill Musk criticized was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives last week and is now moving to the Senate. It offers wide-ranging tax breaks and spending cuts.
However, critics of this bill warn that it will lead to reduced healthcare services and increase the national deficit by up to $4 trillion over the next decade.
The White House has sought to downplay any disputes between the Republican president and Tesla’s owner regarding government spending, but without directly naming Musk.
