Elon Musk says he is « disappointed » by Donald Trump and officially leaves his post at Doge – Liberation

The honeymoon ends. After four months of an unprecedented and provisional experiment, Elon Musk confirmed Wednesday, May 28 in the evening that he ended his mission reduction of public spending in the United States government. And this right after having criticized his great ally Donald Trump for the first time.

« While my scheduled period as a special government employee is coming to an end, I would like to thank President Donald Trump for giving me the opportunity to reduce unnecessary expenses, » writes the businessman on his social network X in a post published Wednesday, May 28. «  »The DOGE Mission (The name of his commission with government efficiency, editor’s note) will strengthen himself in the future to become a way of life in the government ”, also affirms the boss of Tesla, SpaceX and X.

For its part, the White House expressed its thanks. “We thank him for his service. We thank him for launching Doge, and efforts to reduce waste, fraud and abuse will continue ”Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told journalists.

Strong polis speeches, in contrast to the tone much more bitter than Elon Musk used in an interview with the CBS channel. « I was disappointed to see this bill for mass expenditure – frankly – which increases the budget deficit », Elon Musk said in an extract broadcast on Tuesday evening, in reference to the great economic law of the Republican president.

There « Large and beautiful law »,, As Donald Trump baptized it, is being examined at the congress and aims to apply certain emblematic campaign promises, such as the extension of gigantic tax credits. According to an analysis of a parliamentary agency without political affiliation, the text in the state would result in an increase in the federal deficit of $ 3,800 billion in the next decade.

« I think that a law can be great or that it can be beautiful. But I don’t know if she can be both, ” Elon Musk said in his interview with CBS News, which will be broadcast in full on Sunday.

This comment marks the first public crack in a properly extraordinary political alliance, born during the Donald Trump campaign, that Elon Musk has generously financedand reinforced during the shattering beginnings of the second term of the Republican. The boss of Tesla and SpaceX also deplored with the Washington Post that Doge be « In the process of becoming the scapegoat for everything ».

The wealthy entrepreneur of South African origin and the 78-year-old billionaire president were inseparable during the days and weeks after the January 20 inauguration. With Donald Trump in the oval office, on the presidential plane, on the Council of Ministers, on the lawn of the White House for an incredible promotion operation of Tesla…

The high silhouette of Elon Musk, invariably dressed in black and a cap on the head, was omnipresent, while the advertisements of abolition of international aid, federal agency closings, massive agency referrals of civil servants wanted by the richest man in the world, were followed by the world.

Quite quickly, however, press articles reported friction between the protégé of Donald Trump and ministers, exasperated by his methods deemed brutal or his attitude perceived as brittle. Musk also criticized the customs duties policy Established by its ally.

Its mission was from the start conceived as temporary, its status as« Government special employee » being limited to 130 days. Saturday, after a Brief failure of the X networkof which he also owns, the multimillionaire posted: « Back to spend 24 hours a day at work and sleeping in conference /server /factory rooms ».

Elon Musk had already announced at the end of April getting behind to take care of her businesses, especially Tesla, whose sales have dropped As his boss became one of the most divisive personalities in the world.

Its interference in the affairs of the federal state has raised many questions about potential conflicts of interest, due to the important contracts concluded between the administration and its companies, as well as any regulations which would affect its sectors of activity.

Update at 7.50pm: The White House thanks Elon Musk.