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Elon Musk Alamy Stock Photo

Elon Musk leaves role at the White House after criticising Trump's 'big, beautiful bill'

He has also said he will reduce his political spending, because “I think I’ve done enough”.

ELON MUSK IS leaving his government role as a top adviser to US President Donald Trump after spearheading efforts to reduce and overhaul the federal bureaucracy.

The billionaire entrepreneur posted about his decision on X, his social media website.

“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,” he wrote.

“The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”

A White House official, who requested anonymity to talk about the change, confirmed that Musk was leaving.

Musk’s departure comes one day after he criticised the centrepiece of Trump’s legislative agenda, saying he was “disappointed” by what the president calls his “big beautiful bill”.

The legislation includes a mix of tax cuts and enhanced immigration enforcement.

While speaking to CBS, Musk described it as a “massive spending bill” that increases the federal deficit and “undermines the work” of his Department of Government Efficiency (Doge).

“I think a bill can be big or it could be beautiful,” Musk said. “But I don’t know if it could be both.”

His CBS interview came out on Tuesday night. Trump, speaking in the Oval Office on Wednesday, defended his agenda by talking about the delicate politics involved with negotiating the legislation.

“I’m not happy about certain aspects of it, but I’m thrilled by other aspects of it,” he said.

Trump also suggested that more changes could be made.

“We’re going to see what happens,” he said. “It’s got a way to go.”

Republicans recently pushed the measure through the House and are debating it in the Senate.

Musk’s concerns are shared by some Republican lawmakers.

“I sympathise with Elon being discouraged,” said Wisconsin senator Ron Johnson.

Johnson added that he was “pretty confident” there was enough opposition “to slow this process down until the president, our leadership, gets serious” about reducing spending.

He said there was no amount of pressure Trump could put on him to change his position.

Speaker Mike Johnson has asked senators to make as few changes to the legislation as possible, saying that House Republicans reached a “very delicate balance” that could be upended with major changes.

The narrowly divided House will have to vote again on final passage once the Senate alters the bill.

On Wednesday, Johnson thanked Musk for his work and promised to pursue more spending cuts in the future, saying “the House is eager and ready to act on Doge’s findings”.

The White House is sending some proposed rescissions, a mechanism used to cancel previously authorised spending, to Capitol Hill to solidify some of Doge’s cuts.

Musk’s criticism comes as he steps back from his government work, rededicating himself to companies like the electric automaker Tesla and rocket manufacturer SpaceX.

He has also said he will reduce his political spending, because “I think I’ve done enough”.

At times, he has seemed chastened by his experience working in government. Although he hoped that Doge would generate 1 trillion dollars in spending cuts, he has fallen far short of that target.

“The federal bureaucracy situation is much worse than I realised,” he told The Washington Post.

“I thought there were problems, but it sure is an uphill battle trying to improve things in DC, to say the least.”

Musk had previously been energised by the opportunity to reshape Washington. He wore campaign hats in the White House, held his own campaign rallies, and talked about excessive spending as an existential crisis. He often tended to be effusive in his praise of Trump.

“The more I’ve gotten to know President Trump, the more I like the guy,” Musk said in February. “Frankly, I love him.”

Trump repaid the favour, describing Musk as “a truly great American”.

When Tesla faced declining sales, he turned the White House driveway into a makeshift showroom to illustrate his support.

It is unclear what, if any, impact that Musk’s comments about the bill would have on the legislative debate. During the transition period, he helped whip up opposition to a spending measure as the country stood on the brink of a federal government shutdown.

His latest criticism could embolden Republicans who want bigger spending cuts.

Republican Utah senator Mike Lee reposted a Fox News story about Musk’s interview while also adding his own take on the measure, saying there was “still time to fix it”.

“The Senate version will be more aggressive,” Lee said. “It can, it must, and it will be. Or it won’t pass.”

Only two Republicans — representatives Warren Davidson of Ohio and Thomas Massie of Kentucky — voted against the bill when the House took up the measure last week.

Davidson took note of Musk’s comments on social media.

“Hopefully, the Senate will succeed with the Big Beautiful Bill where the House missed the moment,” he wrote.

“Don’t hope someone else will cut deficits someday, know it has been done this Congress.”

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45 Comments
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    Mute Jamie Hinch
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    May 29th 2025, 6:47 AM

    Not before he saved all the sensitive data he could get access to..

    155
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    Mute Tony Murphy
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    May 29th 2025, 7:38 AM

    Too late for musk now. He dirtied his bib, and people won’t forget. Good enough for him.

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    Mute thomas molloy
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    May 29th 2025, 9:34 AM

    @Tony Murphy: He did his best and at least he tried.

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    Mute Thesaltyurchin
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    May 29th 2025, 3:44 PM

    @Tony Murphy: ‘people wont forget’… yea they will, they already have.

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    Mute David Fox
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    May 29th 2025, 5:23 PM

    @thomas molloy: if that’s his best then he is up the creek

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    Mute michal heba
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    May 29th 2025, 6:52 AM

    Best man alive , I really can’t believe how anyone could make bad out of him , everything he did is huge good thing, comon sense and tradition will prevail

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    Mute Thesaltyurchin
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    May 29th 2025, 8:05 AM

    @Mike Dunne: Lol, that green energy ‘conservatism’

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    Mute Jim
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    May 29th 2025, 8:23 AM

    @Thesaltyurchin: you obviously know very little about the shareholders of Tesla & the structure.

    By the way “share-holders” is one word.

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    Mute Seamus Enright
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    May 29th 2025, 10:46 AM

    @michal heba: He’s the sort of person who makes me wish there really was White Genocide in South Africa.

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    Mute Barry Murphy
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    May 29th 2025, 11:59 AM

    @Seamus Enright: Tasteless comment. Another geek that hates the colour of his skin. Get a one way ticket to Kabul and walk around expressing your views on LGBT+ rights and see how that turns out for ya. I’m sure they’ll welcome you with open arms!

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    Mute K H
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    May 29th 2025, 12:40 PM

    @michal heba: two m’s in common sweetheart…

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    Mute Jim
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    May 29th 2025, 12:51 PM

    @Seamus Enright: what a fantastically disgusting comment

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    Mute Tomas Kuodis
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    May 29th 2025, 1:21 PM

    @michal heba: hahahahahahahaha hahahahaha what a clown

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    Mute Seamus Enright
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    May 29th 2025, 2:30 PM

    @Barry Murphy: Maybe you should take in a few Afrikaner refugees…oh wait, there’s no White Genocide in South Africa. It’s another Lie from Musk and Trump.

    You can tell they’re lying because their lips are moving.

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    Mute smatrix mantra
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    May 29th 2025, 2:32 PM

    @Mike Dunne: And yet he was fired.

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    Mute Thesaltyurchin
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    May 29th 2025, 3:25 PM

    @Jim: ‘shareholders’ is indeed one word, well done Jim. I can see where you got it, but you’ve dropped the ball lad :)… So is say Christopher Tsai a conservative? What do we mean by conservative; for me it’s ‘tradition, order, fear of change, Christian, etc? (I don’t include the markets because, anyone can invest in Tesla, it doesn’t really make them ‘conservative’) to that… Is having 14 kids with 4 different people conservative? or say creating a slew of new industries that challenge and threaten tradition, is THAT conservative? methinks not.

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    Mute The Rossie
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    May 29th 2025, 3:39 PM

    @Seamus Enright: There is no genocide against whites in South Africa , to your sick disappointment , it seems . There is , however , widespread murder and rape against white farming families . Musk and his
    Space X might one day put a man on Mars . Not the first African to try . Have a look at Zambia’s space program in the 60s , on YouTube . Wakanda Forever .

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    Mute Robert Halvey
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    May 29th 2025, 4:24 PM

    @michal heba: jasus lad you obviously had no positive male role models growing up ,sad

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    Mute Barry Murphy
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    May 29th 2025, 5:01 PM

    @Seamus Enright: Impersonating wally says it all…

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    Mute David Fox
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    May 29th 2025, 5:20 PM

    @Mike Dunne: I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a pathetic little fan boy as you.

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    Mute Ted Daly
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    May 29th 2025, 11:08 PM

    @michal heba: lol. That was funny. How clueless are you dude. Lol. Lol.

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    Mute Johnny Lee
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    May 29th 2025, 7:02 AM

    Well done Elon Musk. Some of the things he uncovered were shocking. I’m particularly delighted with him helping shut down USAID and closing the department of education. Trump ending funding to gain of function testing was another positive. Hopefully in time people will realise the good that has been done. I hope the butchers that mutilated children removing their sex organs will be brought to justice.

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    Mute FoxyBoiiYT
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    May 29th 2025, 8:58 AM

    @Johnny Lee: Ye Trumptards are actively destroying education so people will be dumb enough to continue voing Maga. Just shows what a shitshow Maga is that it fears education

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    Mute Gary Kearney
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    May 29th 2025, 10:22 AM

    @Johnny Lee: Closing education is a good thing, how do you make that out!

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    Mute Pat Barry
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    May 29th 2025, 10:33 AM

    @Gary Kearney: well his comment does prove what they are aiming for!

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    Mute Jim
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    May 29th 2025, 12:54 PM

    @FoxyBoiiYT: you do mean indoctrination when you say education.

    Education was destroyed long before Trump became president. Don’t let that impede your vitriolic mindset.

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    Mute AnthonyK
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    May 29th 2025, 7:13 AM

    Well, like that wasn’t seen or inevitable.

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    Mute Thesaltyurchin
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    May 29th 2025, 8:07 AM

    @AnthonyK: Steak-holders at tipping point, made their feelings clear about him jogging off to the public sector in fairness. Imagine it will be business as usual for Tesla after this.

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    Mute Ciaran De Bhal
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    May 29th 2025, 8:30 AM

    @Thesaltyurchin: rare, medium or well done?

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    Mute Thesaltyurchin
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    May 29th 2025, 3:27 PM

    @Ciaran De Bhal: a rare ‘flank steak’ draped on my face… : )

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    Mute Gary Kearney
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    May 29th 2025, 10:27 AM

    This has to be one of his best lines “Trump repaid the favour, describing Musk as “a truly great American”. yet Musk is South African! Mind you we all know geography is not a strong point with trump!

    25
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    Mute Gary Kearney
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    May 29th 2025, 10:24 AM

    So the infighting continues! How many people have been sacked or left the administration already!

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    Mute Tony
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    May 29th 2025, 9:42 AM

    Musk is such a loser. If he didn’t have all that apartheid mining money the world would never have heard of him.

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    Mute Pól Pot
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    May 29th 2025, 7:06 AM

    Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.

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    Mute R. Gantly
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    May 29th 2025, 2:13 PM

    He got shafted just as others have, used and dumped. Stick to rockets Elon.

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    Mute David Fox
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    May 29th 2025, 5:27 PM

    @R. Gantly: you mean his rockets that explode a d stuff? Those rockets ??

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    Mute Daniel Skelton
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    May 29th 2025, 12:47 PM

    Oh man, this is great! Watching the tangerine rap ist tossing aside his little cuck that clings off the end of his backside.

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    Mute David Fox
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    May 29th 2025, 5:20 PM

    Good riddance Nazi boy. Hope you go broke.

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    Mute Sean Coughlan
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    May 29th 2025, 1:24 PM

    He’s some man for an,oak tree scent

    1
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