Elon Musk has abruptly stepped down from his short-term government role, just days before his planned exit. His departure follows harsh criticism of the Trump administration’s latest spending plan.
Originally scheduled to leave on May 28, Musk resigned three days ahead of time. The Tesla and SpaceX CEO served as a Special Government Employee—a temporary role capped at 130 working days per year.
His exit came shortly after he publicly blasted what President Trump referred to as his “big, beautiful bill.”
During a CBS interview previewed on May 27, Musk voiced frustration with the legislation.
“I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill,” he said. “Frankly, it increases the budget deficit, not decreases it, and undermines the work the DOGE team is doing.”
“A bill can be big or it can be beautiful… but I don’t know if it can be both.”
According to the BBC, Musk’s comments triggered the White House to fast-track his offboarding.
Musk confirmed his departure on X, writing: