Featured Image Credit: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI / Contributor / Getty
Elon Musk has shockingly revealed that he'll shortly be stepping down from his role as head of the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in May, despite being in charge for only 130 days in total.
DOGE and Elon Musk have dominated the headlines since US President Donald Trump returned to office for a second time earlier this year.
He has seemingly held a position as Trump's closest advisor, and much of the president's policy so far has been centered around DOGE-related cuts.
Upon the reveal of this new government advisory board, Musk pledged cuts of up to $2 trillion, setting an initial deadline of 2026 to get everything done before eventually backtracking on this hefty goal.
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However, his departure is far earlier than expected and the goalposts have seemingly shifted towards a $1 trillion savings target, which Musk believes he will achieve as head of the department before he leaves his role.
Musk revealed his decision to end his government role in an interview with Fox News anchor Bret Baier, as reported by Newsweek, and it has come as a shock to many who saw his position in government as untouchable, even with supposed limits put on his power by the president.
As head of DOGE, Musk has issued significant funding and spending cuts across almost all areas of government, including the 'accidental' removal of Ebola prevention efforts and key nuclear weapon officials that put national security at risk.
Savings of $140 billion have been made so far according to the official DOGE website, although experts have questioned the authenticity of these numbers, so there's still seemingly a long way to go if the $1 trillion target is to be reached within the next month.
It appears as if the reason why Musk is leaving DOGE so early relates to his status within government. He is officially classed as a 'special government employee' who can only work 130 days out of 365 in a year, which would take him up to May 30 if he worked every day from the inauguration.
Reporter: Is DOGE going keep operating even without Elon Musk?
— Acyn (@Acyn) March 31, 2025
Trump: I can't tell you that. I will say this a lot of the people working with doge are the secretaries, the heads of the various agencies, and they've learned a lot. And they're dealing with the doge people. I think… pic.twitter.com/O4ymDc0YrC
"Well, I can't tell you that," explained Trump when asked whether DOGE would continue operations following Musk's departure. "I think some of them may try and keep the DOGE people with them, but you know, at a certain point it will end."
This isn't the first time that departmental reshuffles have threatened the future of DOGE either, as Musk's former partner-in-chief Vivek Ramaswamy exited his role in the department shortly before Trump's inauguration, putting the richest man in the world in sole control of the agency.
Whether Musk would remain close to President Trump and a strong voice within government is yet to be seen though, and only time will tell what role the billionaire will take following his departure from the agency that was seemingly purpose built for him.
