Elon Musk Steps Down, Putting His DOGE Leadership Era to an End

ELON MUSK STEPS DOWN, PUTTING HIS DOGE LEADERSHIP ERA TO AN END

By Allison Kirschbaum

Elon Musk stepped down from his role as a “special government employee,” leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) on Wednesday.

His time advising the current administration was marked by ideas, critiques, and an attempt to bring a startup style to federal agencies, which also came with confusion and a pace that didn’t quite match the government's traditional approach.

As Elon Musk steps down, many people inside and outside the system are wondering what will happen to DOGE moving forward, and if Musk's changes will continue to stay in place.

Elon Musk Steps Down from DOGE

Elon Musk announced his departure on Wednesday evening, marking the end of a turbulent chapter that included thousands of layoffs for government employees.

During his time in charge of DOGE, Elon Musk was leading the department while also keeping his day job as the CEO of businesses that received more than billions in government contracts.

During Musk’s time operating DOGE, it became clear that his style involved operating quickly, bluntly, and disruptively. This operating style didn’t always click with how federal agencies operate.

“It’s not like I agree with everything the administration does – I agree with much of what the administration does, but we have differences of opinion. There are things that I don’t entirely agree with,” Elon Musk said in an interview with CBS Sunday Morning.

Now, with Musk stepping down from DOGE, many are wondering if it will continue after his departure, and the answer is "yes." DOGE is still going to continue.

Musk said that he will still have a part in the operation in an interview on CBS Sunday Morning saying, “The DOGE team will only grow stronger over time.”

Why is Musk Leaving?

Musk's exit was expected. As a special government employee, Musk's role came with a 130-day cap, which expired on Friday, May 30th.

When asked about his departure in the Oval Office Musk stated, "My time as a special government employee necessarily had to end. It was a limited time thing."

Elon Musk's departure will likely not have a significant impact on the work that DOGE is doing, and will continue to carry out.

Tesla Will Get Musk's Full Attention

With many changes happening, one thing is certain: Tesla will get its CEO back.

Musk was splitting his time between SpaceX, Tesla, Neuralink, X, and running parts of the federal government, and that’s a lot of things to accommodate.

There are accusations that Tesla’s board members are seeking a replacement for Musk, which Tesla's chair, Robyn Denholm, has denied. Now, he has just a few items on his plate, and one of them is Tesla, which will benefit from his more available time.

Musk has promised to stay on as CEO for at least five more years and really focus more on the company. Investors had been calling this out for a while, telling him to commit a full workweek’s worth of hours to Tesla. With Musk stepping down from DOGE, Tesla will be getting his full attention.

Elon Musk Says He's 'Disappointed' by Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill"

One day before Elon announced his resignation, CBS released part of an interview where he criticized Trump's legislative agenda, saying that he was "disappointed" by Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill."

"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. He also added that the bill doesn’t align with the work that DOGE is doing.

The legislation includes tax cuts, and increased immigration enforcement. Musk described the it as a "massive spending bill" that increases the federal deficit and "undermines the work" of DOGE.

When asked about the bill Musk said, "I think a bill can be big or it could be beautiful. But I don't know if it could be both."

"I'm not happy about certain aspects of it, but I'm thrilled by other aspects of it," said Musk.

How Is Everyone Reacting to the News of Elon Leaving?

Musk said that DOGE will still continue. However, no solid plans have been laid out since his departure. Thus, it remains unclear what will happen to DOGE now, and there are many concerns, such as whether someone else will take over or it will just fade away.

The same applies to the changes initiated by Musk at the Department of Veterans Affairs. DOGE made significant federal cuts when the current administration took office. With this, there are no clear plans regarding whether Musk’s team will maintain their services, if cuts will be rolled back, or if the services will be updated.

The news of Elon Musk stepping down has received mixed reactions. Some are sad to see him go, as they believe he did a great job addressing wasteful spending in the government. On the other hand, those who were affected by the DOGE cuts are relieved.

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