Musk concludes government role as 'special employee' after days of distancing himself from Trump

U.S. tycoon Elon Musk made his departure from the federal government official just two days before the deadline for hiring under "special employee", a limited 130-day service role.

During his time in the Trump Administration, Musk took a leading role within the Trump Administration, leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and restructuring the federal government to reduce wasteful spending of taxpayer money. In those months, Musk faced numerous criticisms and accolades, earning recognition for his political activism within the conservative world, but also garnering strong backlash outside the Trumpist orbit, generating serious reputational problems for his companies, especially Tesla, which began to face financial problems and also episodes of vandalism in some branches.

Via 'X', Musk thanked President Donald Trump for the opportunity to serve in his Administration, explaining in his message that the DOGE mission to reduce spending will only really work when it becomes the norm and not the exception within the Government.

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

Musk's less-than-gushy message follows days of estrangement with the administration, several weeks after press reports revealed that the mogul had issues with various members of President Trump's cabinet.

In fact, only yesterday, the Tesla owner expressed feeling "disappointed" by the mega-bill pushed by Trump and Republicans that, according to projections, would increase the country's fiscal deficit by $3.8 trillion by 2034.

"I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, that not only increases the budget deficit, but also undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing," Musk said on CBS "Sunday Morning."

Also, according to The New York Times, Musk has expressed regret for the time he spent in politics, believing that his involvement with the Trump Administration hurt both his and his companies' reputations.

Musk was appointed as a DOGE public figure on Jan. 20, following the signing of an executive order by President Trump that gave birth to the office. Since its creation, the DOGE team, led by the tycoon, conducted internal audits at various federal agencies with the goal of identifying and eliminating waste, corruption and fraud.

Finally, due to the nature of his position, the hiring period officially expires on May 30. DOGE, meanwhile, was conceived as a temporary agency and will be dissolved on July 4, 2026, according to the presidential decree signed by Trump.

Musk's departure had already been anticipated by both him and Trump himself.

In April, during an exclusive interview with Fox News, journalist Bret Baier asked him if he planned to extend his role beyond the legal limit and Musk replied: "I think we will have accomplished most of the work required to reduce the deficit by a trillion dollars within that timeframe."

Trump, for his part, referred to Musk's eventual departure during a press briefing in March.

"I think he's amazing. But I also think he's got a big company to run. And so at some point he's going to be going back (...) He's a very talented guy. You know, I love very smart people. He's very smart. And he's done a good job," the president said.