Breakdown: The Trump-Musk honeymoon has ended

Elon Musk has officially stepped away from his role in the Trump administration’s government efficiency department, marking the end of his involvement in the administration’s efforts to cut costs.

Musk had pledged to deliver $2 trillion in savings but managed to achieve only $170 billion—a result the Trump administration considered far below expectations. Across both Republican and Democratic media outlets, Musk’s leadership of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been widely criticized as a failure.

Beyond the missed targets, Musk’s reputation has taken a hit, and his businesses have felt the impact of his controversial role within the administration.

Relations between Musk and former President Trump have grown increasingly strained in recent months. CNN noted that between January 20 and April 4, Trump mentioned Musk 40 times on his social media platform Truth Social. However, since April 5, Musk has not been mentioned once on the platform, signaling a cooling of their relationship.

Tensions escalated after Musk, who had contributed $300 million to Trump’s campaign, publicly criticized Trump’s support for legislation funding the border wall reconstruction, boosting military spending, and increasing the national debt.

(MH with D. Rodriguez – Source: CNN – Photo: © DPA - CNP/AdMedia | CNP/AdMedia)