Elon Musk resigns from DOGE, slams Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ on his way out

Tech billionaire parts ways with government role, voicing sharp criticism of new fiscal plan

Elon Musk has officially resigned from his government role three days early, blasting a massive new spending bill backed by former President Donald Trump and declaring it a step backward in the fight against government waste.

Elon Musk’s time in Washington, D.C. was always going to be short—but it ended with a bang. The Tesla and SpaceX CEO had been serving as a Special Government Employee, a temporary advisor role, helping lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) alongside businessman Vivek Ramaswamy.

Their goal? Trim the fat from the federal government.

That meant proposing deep budget cuts, reducing bureaucracy, and targeting entire departments—including plans to shut down the Department of Education by 2026. Musk had even hoped to dissolve DOGE itself by July 4 of that year, making it a symbolic “independence” from wasteful spending.

But that vision clashed sharply with a new bill introduced by the Trump administration—a sprawling plan full of defense spending and trillion-dollar tax cuts. And Musk didn’t hold back.

Musk’s exit statement: “I don’t know if it can be both”

In a clip aired by CBS on May 27, Musk made it clear why he was leaving early. Referring to what Trump called his “big, beautiful bill,” Musk said:

“I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill. Frankly, it increases the budget deficit, not decreases it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing.”

“I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful… but I don’t know if it can be both.”

After those remarks, the White House began the process of offboarding Musk before his scheduled end date of May 28.

Getty Images/ Win McNamee

He later confirmed the resignation on X, his social media platform:

“As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I’d like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending. The @DOGE mission will only grow stronger as it becomes a way of life across government.”

What’s in the “big, beautiful bill”?

The controversial spending plan includes:

  • A dramatic boost in defense funding
  • Major tax cuts for businesses and high earners
  • Funding for a missile defense project dubbed the “Golden Dome”

Supporters say the bill strengthens national security and fuels economic growth. But critics warn it could add over $600 billion in new government spending next year alone.

That’s a tough pill to swallow for fiscal conservatives—and an even bigger problem for DOGE, whose entire mission is built on cutting costs.

Though Musk and Trump were once seen as allies in disrupting Washington politics, this public disagreement signals a shift. So far, Trump hasn’t responded directly. Instead, he posted a cryptic meme on Truth Social, showing himself walking alone with the words:

“He’s on a mission from God & nothing can stop what is coming.”

Some saw it as a subtle jab at Musk, while others took it as Trump doubling down on his own plans.

Either way, Musk’s exit leaves behind questions about whether the Republican Party’s internal divisions over spending and government reform are just beginning.

For now, Musk is out. But his message remains: real change can’t happen without real cuts.

And for a man who builds rockets and dreams of Mars, “waste” on Earth seems harder to tolerate than gravity itself.

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