Billionaire and world’s richest particular person, Elon Musk, on Could 28 introduced he’s exiting the Donald Trump-led administration, and leaving as head of the US Division of Authorities Effectivity, extra generally generally known as DOGE.
“As my scheduled time as a Particular Authorities Worker involves an finish, I wish to thank President@realDonaldTrump for the chance to scale back wasteful spendingm. The DOGE mission will solely strengthen over time because it turns into a lifestyle all through the federal government,” Elon Musk wrote on X.
A White Home official confirmed Elon Musk’s departure to Reuters and mentioned that the billionaire’s “off-boarding will start tonight.”
Elon Musk’s Tenure as DOGE Chief
As chief of DOGE, Elon Musk was a “particular authorities worker” — individuals who be part of the US authorities for a brief time frame to supply specialised experience. As per US ethics legal guidelines, particular authorities staff can’t serve for greater than 130 days in a 365-day interval.
So, Elon Musk’s function within the Donald Trump administration was at all times short-term, with a hard and fast time period of 130 days — from January 20 to Could 30.
For US authorities worker’s, Elon Musk’s DOGE was an upheaval machine. The turbulent instances noticed 1000’s of layoffs, full division shutdowns, and reams of litigation, as per an AP report. Regardless of the noise, the accomplishments had been far few than Elon Musk could have hoped, it added.
The report famous that the billionaire “struggled” within the unfamiliar surroundings of Washington and more and more expressed frustration about resistance to his objectives. He additionally dramatically diminished his goal for reducing spending — from $2 trillion to $1 trillion to $150 billion.
What occurs to DOGE? Who Succeeds Elon Musk?
There isn’t any succession plan outlined at DOGE. In an earlier interview, Elon Musk joked: “DOGE is a lifestyle, like Buddhism. Buddha isn’t alive anymore. You wouldn’t ask the query: ‘Who would lead Buddhism?’”
Answering reporters in April when requested about Elon Musk stepping again from DOGE to give attention to his corporations, Donald Trump didn’t have a concrete reply both. “I am unable to let you know that. I’ll say this — a number of the folks working with DOGE are the secretaries, the heads of the varied businesses, and so they’ve realized loads. They usually’re coping with the DOGE folks. I feel a few of them could attempt to hold the DOGE folks… At a sure level, I feel it is going to finish,” Donald Trump had mentioned.
In an interview with the Washington Put up forward of the SpaceX launch on Could 27 (which exploded), Elon Musk expressed frustration that DOGE, had develop into a scapegoat for criticism. “DOGE is simply turning into the whipping boy for every thing. At any time when one thing goes mistaken wherever, we get blamed even when we’ve nothing to do with it,” he mentioned.
Elon Musk’s time at DOGE — An Overview
- January 20: Elon Musk takes helm of the Division of Authorities Effectivity or DOGE.
- February 1: US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent indicators off on DOGE’s entry to Treasury fee system.
- February 1: Leaders on the US Company for Worldwide Improvement (USAID), Director for Safety John Vorhees and Deputy Director for Safety Brian McGill, placed on depart.
- February 3: Politico experiences that DOGE is scrutinising nationwide broadcasters NPR and PBS for alleged “liberal bias”.
- February 3: A number of teams, together with the American Federation of Authorities Workers (AFGE), sue the US Treasury for sharing confidential knowledge with DOGE.
- February 4: New York Instances (NYT) experiences that Division of Schooling is underneath DOGE assessment, with Donald Trump desirous to utterly shut it down.
- Februuary 5: NYT reported that every one USAID staff had been placed on paid depart from February 7, 2025.
- February 5: Power Secretary Chris Wright granted a DOGE rep entry to the Division’s IT system, CNN reported.
- February 6: Wall Road Journal (WSJ) experiences that over 40,000 federal employees go for voluntary retirement.
- February 7: Round 13 to 14 state attorneys common (largely Democratic) file a lawsuit to cease DOGE’s entry to delicate private info.
- February 11, WSJ experiences that Donald Trump signed an Government Order giving DOGE extra authority to scale back the dimensions of the federal workforce.
- February 12: CNN experiences that federal company leaders have been directed to work with DOGE to organize “large-scale layoffs”.
- February 13: Reuters experiences that the US’ Inside Income Service (IRS) in now underneath DOGE scanner.
- February 14: DOGE lays off 1,200-2,000 employees on the Division of Power, together with staff at an influence grid workplace; and three,600 probationary Well being and Human Providers staff.
- February 15: Bloomberg experiences that Division of Homeland Safety get memo to right away cease to work linked to local weather change.
- February 17: Reuters reported that DOGE fired US Meals and Drug Administration (FDA) staff who had been reviewing Musk’s mind implant firm Neuralink.
- February 18: USA Right this moment experiences that in a courtroom submitting, the White Home mentioned Musk is not in command of DOGE ‒ nor does he even work for DOGE, however is an advisor to Donald Trump.
- February 25: AP experiences that nearly 40 per cent of the federal contracts cancelled underneath value reducing, won’t save any cash.
- February 27: Politico experiences {that a} federal choose has ordered Trump administration officers concerned in DOGE to testify underneath oath in a lawsuit searching for to dam DOGE’s entry to delicate authorities knowledge.
- February 28: USA Right this moment experiences that Division of Schooling’s HR supplied staff $25,000 to stop by March 3.
- March 1: Reuters experiences that DOGE has fired civil servants who helped to construct the IRS’ free tax-filing service and revamp govt web sites.
- March 8: CBS Information experiences that every one staff within the HHS recieve voluntarily resignation provide for $25,000 fee, legitimate until March 14 to answer.
- March 26: Guardian experiences that DOGE has hut down the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS), an impartial federal company that works to forestall and resolve work stoppages and disputes in the private and non-private sector.
- March 28: AP experiences a federal choose lifted an order blocking DOGE from additional cuts on the USAID.
- April 3: HHS Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, says 20 per cent of 10,000 staff fired by DOGE might be rehired, in accordance with a CBS Information report.
- April 22: Elon Musk says he’s stepping again from DOGE to focus extra on corporations from Could 2025.
- April 30: CNBC experiences that Elon Musk mentioned DOGE has saved taxpayers $160 billion — far lower than his unique projections.
- Could 2: AP experiences that Trump administration has requested the Supreme Court docket to clear the way in which for DOGE to entry Social Safety methods.
- Could 9: CBS Information experiences {that a} choose briefly barred the Trump administration from finishing up sweeping cuts and layoffs at over a dozen authorities businesses.
(With inputs from Businesses)
