By Madalitso Mtukula
Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has officially stepped down as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a role he held within the Trump administration for 130 days. His tenure, which was always meant to be temporary, focused on streamlining federal bureaucracy and reducing government spending.
Musk’s exit comes shortly after his public criticism of President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” a sweeping tax-and-spending package that he claims will significantly worsen the national deficit. Musk argued that the bill contradicts DOGE’s mission to curb government waste and inefficiency.
During his time at DOGE, Musk spearheaded aggressive cost-cutting measures that included agency shutdowns and layoffs. While the department claimed it saved the government roughly $175 billion, these figures have been met with skepticism from economists and watchdog groups who question the accuracy of the reported savings.
In a statement, Musk confirmed that although he is stepping back from his official position, he will continue offering informal support to the administration. He plans to dedicate one to two days per week to ongoing DOGE-related projects at the president’s request.
The resignation has sparked speculation about who will succeed Musk. Political analysts have pointed to biotech entrepreneur and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy as a potential replacement, although no official announcement has been made.
Elon Musk’s short but controversial stint in government marked a rare foray into politics for the tech mogul, whose private-sector ventures include Tesla, SpaceX, and social media platform X (formerly Twitter). His departure raises new questions about the future of DOGE and the Trump administration’s broader efficiency agenda.
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