Elon Musk Exits Trump's Efficiency Department Amidst Departures

On Friday, U.S. President Trump held a news conference to celebrate the end of Elon Musk's formal government service. After leading the so-called Efficiency Department for four months of tumultuous leadership, Musk officially stepped down.

Musk's departure comes at a critical juncture, both for the Efficiency Department and his relationship with the president. Several high-ranking officials from the Efficiency Department, which is tasked with reducing federal labor, have recently left or are set to depart. These include Steve Davis, the president of Musk's Boring Company, and Katie Miller, the spokesperson for the Efficiency Department. Lawyer James Burnham is also set to leave the organization.

Musk briefly served as a powerful and highly visible "special government employee" under Trump, having previously spent over 250 million dollars to help Trump win the election. Trump frequently praised Musk, including his announcement on Friday that he would hold a "news conference" in the Oval Office.

"This will be his last day, but in reality, it won't be, because he will always be with us, helping us along the way," Trump wrote on Truth Social on Thursday, adding, "Elon is amazing!"

However, the world's richest man, Musk, publicly broke with Trump and clashed repeatedly with cabinet members. He advocated for lowering tariffs, which damaged Trump's image as a "tariff expert." He also criticized White House trade advisor Peter Navarro, calling him "an idiot" and "dumber than a bag of bricks."

This week, Musk broke with Trump over "a grand and beautiful bill" that the president is urging congressional Republicans to approve. Musk expressed his "disappointment" that the bill would increase the federal budget deficit and said it "undermines the work the Efficiency Department team is doing."

Musk had predicted that the Efficiency Department would cut tens of billions of dollars in government spending, but according to its own data, the department's cuts have fallen far short of that level, and the data has been called into question. However, Musk stated that the Efficiency Department's mission is far from over.

"As the Efficiency Department becomes a way of life for the entire government, its mission will only grow stronger over time," Musk wrote in a thank-you post to Trump on X on Wednesday.

Musk's political career has also damaged his public image and tarnished consumer perceptions of Tesla, with Tesla's cars and showrooms becoming targets for arsonists and vandals. In the final weeks of his government tenure, Musk, who was once ubiquitous in Trump's circle, became less conspicuous.

Musk recently stated that he plans to exit politics, including reducing future campaign contributions, and will focus more on his numerous businesses.