Elon Musk Abruptly Quits Trump Admin Role, Slams “Big, Beautiful Bill”

In a dramatic twist that’s stirring political and tech circles alike, Elon Musk has officially stepped down from his short-term government role—three days earlier than scheduled—after publicly criticizing President Donald Trump’s controversial new spending bill.

“I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful… but I don’t know if it can be both,” Musk remarked in a CBS interview aired May 27.

Musk’s Short-Lived Government Role
The Tesla and SpaceX CEO had been serving as a Special Government Employee, a temporary advisory position allowing up to 130 working days per year. Musk was co-leading the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) alongside entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, with a bold mission: slash federal waste, dismantle bureaucracies, and aggressively cut costs.

The role wasn’t elected, and from the outset, it had a clear expiration date. Musk was set to finish on May 28, but after what he saw in Trump’s proposed fiscal strategy, he cut his tenure short.

“I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill. Frankly, it increases the budget deficit, not decreases it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing,” Musk told CBS.

What’s in the “Big, Beautiful Bill”?
The spending bill at the heart of the rift—nicknamed by Trump as the “Big, Beautiful Bill”—includes a staggering boost in defense spending, trillions in corporate tax breaks, and funding for the president’s new “Golden Dome” missile defense system. While the legislation narrowly passed the House of Representatives, it still awaits Senate approval.

Critics argue it could add up to $600 billion to the national deficit in just the next fiscal year—an ironic move, considering the White House’s previously vocal commitment to fiscal restraint via the DOGE initiative.

Musk’s disappointment was evident in both his televised comments and in his post on X, the platform he owns:

“As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I’d like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending. The @DOGE mission will only grow stronger as it becomes a way of life across government.”

White House Reacts
According to BBC reports, Musk’s public criticism didn’t go unnoticed. The White House reportedly accelerated the offboarding process after his remarks, ending his advisory role ahead of schedule.

While Trump has yet to respond directly, he posted a cryptic meme to Truth Social shortly after Musk’s departure. The image showed the former president walking alone down a darkened street with the caption:

“He’s on a mission from God & nothing can stop what is coming.”

Interpretation? Your guess is as good as the internet’s.

The DOGE Mission—and Its Fallout
Musk and Ramaswamy’s DOGE department had ambitious, controversial goals. These included:

Mass layoffs of federal employees

Dismantling of DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) programs

Major cuts to the Department of Education

A full department shutdown by July 4, 2026, in symbolic alignment with U.S. Independence Day

Whether the DOGE initiative will continue without Musk remains unclear. However, with its most prominent face now stepping aside, the department’s future seems uncertain—particularly as it stands in direct opposition to the Trump administration’s latest fiscal direction.

Musk vs. Trump: A Public Rift?
While their political alliance has always been unconventional, this marks a significant and very public divergence between Elon Musk and Donald Trump, two of the Republican Party’s most polarizing figures.

Musk’s blend of libertarian ideals, fiscal conservatism, and tech innovation once seemed to align with Trump’s campaign against the “deep state.” But this recent disagreement suggests a deep philosophical rift—one that may widen as the 2026 budget debate continues.

For now, Musk appears to be returning to the private sector, but his final remarks suggest his mission isn’t over.

“The DOGE mission will only grow stronger,” he wrote. “It’s not about a title. It’s about changing the culture of waste.”

As the Senate gears up to weigh in on the spending bill, all eyes remain on the fallout—both fiscal and political—of Musk’s bold exit.