Billionaire Elon Musk stepped down from his position in the government as a senior advisor to President Donald Trump on Wednesday.
The entrepreneur announced his decision on the social network X (formerly Twitter).
“At the end of my term as Special Government Employee, I want to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce unnecessary spending,” he wrote.
He added: “The mission of @DOGE will strengthen over time as it becomes a habit throughout the government.”
His departure comes one day after expressing feeling “disappointed” with the US president’s tax reform project, which he considers insufficient, and has stated that it jeopardizes the work that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been doing.
“Frankly, I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill that increases the budget deficit, rather than reducing it,” he confessed, according to a preview of an interview for CBS that the network will air this Sunday.
On the other hand, the president has downplayed the criticisms from Musk, who considers this policy of cuts insufficient, and has explained that it is necessary to “get many votes” in Congress for it to move forward.
“We can’t be cutting back, we need to get a lot of support and we already have it,” he said, acknowledging in statements to the media from the Oval Office that he is not happy “with certain aspects” of the project.
“We will negotiate (...) That’s how it’s done. It’s a big and beautiful bill,” he said, referring to the slogan he has been using to praise the supposed benefits of this bill. Trump has said that ultimately, it will be worth it for “the level of cuts” that will be made.
A week ago, the Trump Administration scored a new victory by getting the House of Representatives to pass a bill by just one vote to cut taxes while increasing defense spending, amid criticism within the Republican Party itself.
The bill, which will now have to go to a Senate where Republicans hold the majority, received 215 votes in favor and 214 votes against, including two dissenting congressmen who voted with the Democrats.
In addition to extending the cuts imposed in 2017 during his first term, he adds new tax exemptions and increased funding to his aggressive immigration policy. To compensate for this increase in spending, he proposes to divert funds originally allocated to social programs and healthcare assistance.
After both displayed great harmony with Trump’s return to the White House, Musk has gradually distanced himself from the political forefront.
Elon Musk, in his first weeks in operation, fired thousands of workers and reduced, among other things, the foreign aid activities of the United States Government.
In April, faced with a sharp drop of more than 71 percent in Tesla’s profits, Musk announced that he would limit his role as a government advisor.