Elon Musk, the high-profile tech billionaire, could soon be stepping away from his role in the Trump administration, as a group of lawmakers pushes for his removal.
This comes amid growing backlash over Musk’s controversial behavior online, including a recent outburst on Twitter in response to a poll showing his declining popularity.
A total of 77 Democratic lawmakers have called on the White House to set a May 30 deadline for Musk to conclude his involvement with the administration.
Officials close to President Trump have reportedly raised concerns, even suggesting Musk might be under the influence.
His various roles within the administration have been loosely defined, ranging from head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), to an advisor to Trump to a “special government employee.”
If Musk is officially classified as the latter, federal regulations limit his service to 130 days. In a letter spearheaded by Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX), lawmakers accused Musk of exploiting his government status to enrich himself while slashing billions from the federal budget, damaging key public services in the process.
“During his short time in government, Elon Musk has done enormous harm to working Americans,” the letter, obtained by Axios, claims.
“His reckless dismantling of federal agencies has made it harder for seniors to access Social Security and for veterans to receive care at VA hospitals.”
The lawmakers also raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest, especially surrounding massive federal contracts awarded to Musk’s company, SpaceX.
They urged the president to stop “bending federal laws and ethics rules to cater to an unelected billionaire.”
Following months of sidestepping the issue, the White House recently confirmed that Musk is serving as a “special government employee,” which exempts him from standard financial disclosure requirements.
Interestingly, the relatively unknown Amy Gleason is reportedly heading the U.S. DOGE Service agency that Musk is affiliated with.
Rumors of Musk’s imminent departure have been swirling, especially after Trump hinted at parting ways with him. While the White House responded to the buzz, it remained vague.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt posted on X: “Elon Musk and President Trump have both publicly stated that Elon will depart from public service as a special government employee once his groundbreaking work at DOGE is completed.”
Musk himself indicated he expects to wrap up his work by the end of May. Speaking with Bret Baier on Fox News last month, he expressed confidence that his team would meet its ambitious goal of cutting the federal deficit by $1 trillion within that timeframe.