Elon Musk announced that his time working in the Trump administration as a “Special Government Employee” is drawing to a close, and he thanked President Donald Trump.
“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 in a post on X. “The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”
Musk’s post comes as the New York Times reported that Musk is “operating with some distance from” Trump, with alleged “White House officials,” claiming that Musk is on “good terms” with the president, though he is “disillusioned with Washington and frustrated with the obstacles he encountered as he upended the federal bureaucracy”:
Mr. Musk, who once called himself the president’s “first buddy,” is now operating with some distance from Mr. Trump as he says he is ending his government work to spend more time on his companies. Mr. Musk remains on good terms with Mr. Trump, according to White House officials. But he has also made it clear that he is disillusioned with Washington and frustrated with the obstacles he encountered as he upended the federal bureaucracy, raising questions about the strength of the alliance between the president and the world’s richest man.
Musk has previously expressed disappointment in the so-called “big, beautiful bill,” noting that it “undermines the work the DOGE team is doing.”
In November 2024, Trump picked Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), noting that they would “pave the way” for the Trump administration to “dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.”
CNBC reported that as part of Musk’s role as a “special government employee,” he is only allowed to work for the administration for “130 days in a calendar year”:
As a so-called special government employee, Musk can work for the administration for 130 days in a calendar year. The end of May marks 130 days since Trump’s inauguration.
In response to Musk’s post, several people praised the work that Musk and DOGE “has done to eliminate government waste and corruption,” while others thanked Musk.
“The work DOGE has done to eliminate government waste and corruption — the rot embedded deep within Washington — is among the most valuable services ever rendered to government,” White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller wrote in a post on X. “And the work has only just begun.”
“Thank you, Elon Musk,” Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk wrote in a post. “A grateful nation thanks you. You changed the culture of the federal government for the better — an incredibly difficult feat — a legacy that will have ramifications for many, many administrations to come.”
“Thank you Elon for your tireless efforts in identifying and reducing wasteful spending!” another person wrote. “Although Congress has failed to act significantly, you have awakened many people to the true and utter corruption of our supposed representatives.”
“America owns a great debt to Elon Musk,” another person wrote. “He sacrificed his billionaire life style to help this country. A true American Patriot. Thank you for your service Elon.”
“Thank you Elon for laying the foundation for a more efficient government,” another person wrote. “Could not have hoped for a better person to peer behind the veil of the Federal Government.”
“Thank you @elonmusk for your incredible efforts and sacrifices you made to launch DOGE to save America from our national debt crisis,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R) wrote. “This should only be the beginning of cutting waste, fraud, and abuse and delivering government efficiency for the American people.”
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