Elon Musk quits Trump adviser role after slamming President's 'big beautiful bill'

ELON MUSK has announced he is stepping down from his government role as a top adviser to President Donald Trump, citing frustrations with Washington's bureaucracy and disappointment over the administration's latest spending bill.

The billionaire entrepreneur, known for his work with Tesla and SpaceX, revealed the news in a post on X-his own social media platform-on Wednesday.

"As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending," Musk wrote.

"The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government."

His departure was confirmed by a White House official, who asked to remain anonymous when discussing the change.

Musk's resignation came just one day after he publicly criticised President Trump's signature piece of legislation. While speaking to CBS, the tech mogul said he was "disappointed" by what the president calls his "big beautiful bill."

The legislation includes sweeping tax cuts and stronger immigration enforcement measures. But Musk condemned it as a "massive spending bill" that increases the federal deficit and "undermines the work" of his Department of Government Efficiency-DOGE.

"I think a bill can be big or it could be beautiful," Musk told CBS. "But I don't know if it could be both."

President Trump defended the bill during comments in the Oval Office on Wednesday, acknowledging that the process of passing such legislation is fraught with challenges.

"I'm not happy about certain aspects of it, but I'm thrilled by other aspects of it," he said, suggesting that further revisions could still be made.

"We're going to see what happens. It's got a way to go."

Musk, who had spearheaded efforts to overhaul the federal bureaucracy and slash wasteful government spending, now plans to focus more on his business ventures.

He has pledged to reduce his political donations as well, saying: "I think I've done enough."

Despite ambitious goals-DOGE aimed to generate $1 trillion in spending cuts-Musk admitted to The Washington Post that progress was slow.

"The federal bureaucracy situation is much worse than I realized," he said. "I thought there were problems, but it sure is an uphill battle trying to improve things in D.C., to say the least."

Musk's exit marks the latest shake-up in Trump's circle of advisers, as internal dissent and criticism of key policies continue to bubble to the surface.