Musk stepping down as special government employee
Tech billionaire Elon Musk, head of the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has announced that he will no longer serve as a government employee. The statement comes amid reports of a growing rift between Musk and President Donald Trump.
Trump established DOGE to identify and eliminate wasteful spending as part of his effort to make the federal government more responsive to everyday Americans. Musk's organization, which is not a federal agency in the traditional sense, has overseen the elimination of grants and programs, as well as the termination of government jobs. Trump has also used DOGE to dismantle the Department of Education and the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
'As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President Trump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending,' Musk wrote on his X platform Wednesday evening.
'The DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government,' he added. According to The New York Times, special government employees are appointed to 'perform important, but limited, services to the government, with or without compensation, for a period not to exceed 130 days.'
An unnamed White House official confirmed to Reuters on Wednesday that Musk is leaving the administration and that his 'off-boarding will begin tonight.'
Musk recently voiced disappointment over Trump's tax and spending bill, which he said would increase the deficit and undermine DOGE's mission. He also said last week that he would like to wind down his involvement in politics because he has 'done enough.'
Trump defended the bill passed by the House last week, though he admitted on Wednesday that he was 'not happy about certain aspects.'
According to DOGE's website, the task force has helped save an estimated $175 billion in taxpayer funds. Democrats have criticized the initiative, and courts have blocked some of its actions.
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