--- title: Elon Musk's Most Controversial Moments in the White House description: Musk announced that his time leading DOGE as a "special government employee" is coming to an end. canonical: https://time.com/7289468/elon-musk-controversial-white-house-moments-doge-departure/ author: Rebecca Schneid article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2025-05-29T15:44:44.000Z article:modified_time: 2025-11-07T09:03:30.000Z article:section: Politics og:title: Elon Musk's Most Controversial Moments in the White House og:description: Musk announced that his time leading DOGE as a "special government employee" is coming to an end. og:url: https://time.com/7289468/elon-musk-controversial-white-house-moments-doge-departure/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7d0c4683c8c4a4b5/6998c70666d4e3f37acbc83a/GettyImages-2198395998.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: Elon Musk Joins President Trump For Signing Executive Orders In The Oval Office og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Elon Musk's Most Controversial Moments in the White House twitter:description: Musk announced that his time leading DOGE as a "special government employee" is coming to an end. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7d0c4683c8c4a4b5/6998c70666d4e3f37acbc83a/GettyImages-2198395998.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Revisiting Elon Musk's Most Controversial Moments in the White House > Sponsored content. 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Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. It reaches 85,000 subscribers with a 37.0% open rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters.  by [Rebecca Schneid](https://time.com/author/rebecca-schneid/)  ## Rebecca Schneid Reporter Updated: Nov 7, 2025 9:03 AM UTCPublished: May 29, 2025 3:44 PM UTC  Elon Musk and President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House on Feb. 11, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Elon Musk and President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House on Feb. 11, 2025, in Washington, D.C.Andrew Harnik—Getty Images  by [Rebecca Schneid](https://time.com/author/rebecca-schneid/)  ## Rebecca Schneid Reporter Updated: Nov 7, 2025 9:03 AM UTCPublished: May 29, 2025 3:44 PM UTC Elon Musk's time as the leader of President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has come to an end. “As my scheduled time as a special government employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President \[Trump\] for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending," Musk [announced on Wednesday, May 29\. ](http://x.com/elonmusk/status/1927877957852266518)“The DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.” Musk joined Trump in the Oval Office on Friday, May 30, for [a press conference](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mq7degBnioI) to mark the end of his White House tenure. Musk reiterated that DOGE will continue in his absence, and that it's only the beginning for the agency. He also vowed to remain nearby as a confidante. "I expect to continue to provide advice, whenever the President would like advice," Musk said, adding that he'll "remain a friend and an adviser and certainly, if there’s anything the President wants me to do, I’m at the President’s service." Trump heaped praise on Musk, saying the Tesla CEO's "service to America has been without comparison in modern history." The President went on to gift Musk a symbolic key to the White House. During his leadership at DOGE, Musk implemented a slew of far-reaching changes in his bid to eliminate waste within the government. His cuts at federal agencies and the termination of billions of dollars of government contracts—many of which have reportedly [since been revived](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/09/us/politics/doge-musk-contracts-agencies.html)—prompted much criticism. And Musk has personally taken a hit, too. His Tesla showrooms have been the subject of [arson attacks](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/crime/tesla-cars-power-stations-elon-musk-b2709001.html) and people have boycotted both him and his businesses [in protest](https://time.com/7275249/protesters-across-us-global-rally-against-trump-musk/). **Read More:**[_Inside Elon Musk’s War on Washington_ ](https://time.com/7213409/elon-musk-us-government-trump/) Here’s a look back at Musk’s most controversial moments. ## **Musk is questioned about alleged drug use** On Friday, a reporter in the Oval Office [asked Musk about](https://time.com/7290129/elon-musk-drug-use-trump-oval-office/) the New York _Times’_ reported allegations that he regularly consumed ketamine, ecstasy, and psychedelic mushrooms when traveling with Trump on the campaign trail in 2024\. "The New York _Times_. Is that the same publication that got a Pulitzer Prize for false reporting on Russiagate? Let’s move on," Musk said when asked about the report, seemingly referencing conservative criticism of the publication's coverage of [Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election](https://time.com/5565991/russia-influence-2016-election/). The topic came up again on Friday night, when Trump answered questions from reporters as he returned from [speaking to steelworkers at a rally in Pittsburgh, Penn](https://time.com/7290211/trump-doubles-tariffs-steel-aluminum-backlash-experts-canada/). “I think he’s fantastic. I think Elon is a fantastic guy, and—I’m not troubled by anything with Elon. I think he’s fantastic,” Trump replied when asked if he was aware of the allegations. ## **“Cruel” email to federal employees sparks mass criticism** In February, Musk’s leadership was questioned [over an email](https://time.com/7260762/elon-musk-federal-employees-email-resignation-threat-criticism/) sent to various government departments, requesting that employees respond within a certain time frame and summarize their work for the week. The email—which boasted the subject line “What did you do last week?”—was sent from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to workers in several government departments. Musk [added via social media](https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1893386883444437415) that “failure to respond will be taken as a resignation.” However, there was no mention of resignation in the email sent to employees. The email—and Musk's accompanying social media warning—garnered ire from several unions and prominent voices. Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE),[ referred to the directive](https://www.afge.org/publication/afge-president-everett-kelley-response-to-elon-musks-demand-for-federal-workers-justify-their-jobs-or-resign/) as “cruel and disrespectful,” and called Musk an “out-of-touch, privileged, unelected billionaire.” Some department heads initially instructed their employees to focus on their own internal performance review process, as opposed to responding to the email. FBI Director Kash Patel told employees [in an email](https://x.com/KenDilanianNBC/status/1893479494079410229?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1893479494079410229%7Ctwgr%5E08ba7db662bd2e522e56601f1c6dc3eea78cce7e%7Ctwcon%5Es1%5F&ref%5Furl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.independent.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Famericas%2Fus-politics%2Fmusk-doge-email-federal-workers-b2703006.html) that they should “pause any responses.” Earlier this week, it was reported that the Pentagon [had ended the initiative](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pentagon-doge-elon-musk-what-did-you-do-last-week-email-requirement-ends/) with its civilian employees, who will no longer be required to send an email specifying what they did the previous week.  President Donald Trump shows his support for Elon Musk and Tesla on the South Lawn of the White House on March 11, 2025. Andrew Harnik—Getty Images ## **Overhauling multiple agencies through DOGE** Musk has garnered much controversy during his time leading DOGE, specifically for his massive cuts at the federal level which, alongside actions from the Trump Administration, contributed to mass layoffs, the termination of government contracts, and [efforts to close entire agencies](https://time.com/7270145/what-does-the-department-of-education-do/). DOGE [claims](https://doge.gov/savings) to have saved an estimated $175 billion for the federal government, a number which has [been brought into question](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn4j33klz33o) during various verification attempts. Musk’s [goal to cut $2 trillion dollars](https://www.reuters.com/world/us/musk-acknowledges-2-trillion-spending-cut-goal-long-shot-2025-01-09/) has resulted in a [multi-state lawsuit ](https://www.axios.com/2025/05/28/lawsuit-musk-doge-democratic-states)against Musk and DOGE, amid allegations that they violated the Constitution by accessing government data systems, canceling contracts of federal agencies, and terminating federal employees. In February, during an appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference, Musk displayed his penchant for slashing government spending by waving around a chainsaw on stage. He was gifted the mechanical tool by Argentine President Javier Milei, who made the chainsaw a trademark of his when he campaigned to cut public spending in his native country.  Elon Musk holds a chainsaw at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center at National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland, on Feb. 20, 2025. Saul Loeb—Getty Images ## **Musk’s straight-arm salute at a Trump rally** At a celebratory rally after Trump’s inauguration, Musk’s White House career got off to a contentious start when he seemingly offered a straight-arm salute at the Capitol One Arena in Washington, D.C., as he excitedly told the crowd: “My heart goes out to you.” The motion immediately garnered controversy, with some people, including history [professors who study fascism](https://bsky.app/profile/ruthbenghiat.bsky.social/post/3lg7eiifhyc2a) and U.S. [Representatives](https://x.com/RepJerryNadler/status/1881474208771055639), expressing concern that the action was similar to a Nazi salute. Some, including the Anti-Defamation League, came to Musk’s defense, arguing that he [was seemingly](https://x.com/ADL/status/1881474892022919403) making an “awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm.” Musk addressed the controversy himself, [saying](https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1882256348374831532): “The radical leftists are really upset that they had to take time out of their busy day praising Hamas to call me a Nazi.”  Elon Musk gestures as he speaks inside the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 2025. Angela Weiss—Getty Images ## **DOGE employees resigning** Several civil service employees resigned from DOGE, citing their refusal to use their expertise to “dismantle critical public services,” according to a joint resignation letter sent to the White House chief of staff [Susie Wiles](https://time.com/7174721/meet-susie-wiles-the-future-trump-appointed-white-house-chief-of-staff/) on Feb. 25, that was obtained by the [Associated Press](https://apnews.com/article/doge-elon-musk-federal-government-resignations-usds-6b7e9b7022e6d89d69305e9510f2a43c). The employees had worked for the United States Digital Service, but said their duties had been integrated into DOGE. Musk directly responded to the AP article, [calling it](https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1894451858791665770) “fake news from Associated Propaganda.” “These were Dem political holdovers who refused to return to the office,” Musk said of the employees. “They would have been fired had they not resigned.” There have also been mass [resignations from top-ranking government officials](https://time.com/7259962/trump-administration-officials-resign/) since Trump returned to the White House and set up DOGE. David Lebryk, the highest-ranking Treasury Department career official, retired on Jan. 31 after clashing with Musk’s team over access to government payment systems, the [Washington _Post_ reported](https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/01/31/elon-musk-treasury-department-payment-systems/). ## **Musk criticizes Trump’s “big, beautiful bill”** Shortly before announcing that his DOGE role was coming to its scheduled end, Musk criticized Trump's "big, beautiful bill" in a public forum. [During an interview with CBS](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/elon-musk-disappointed-by-trump-big-beautiful-bill-doge/), he agreed that the spending bill—which is now heading to the Senate—undermines the spending cuts brought about by DOGE. “I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit,” Musk said. “I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful, but I don’t know if it can be both, \[that’s\] my personal opinion.” It isn't the first time that Musk has openly critiqued movements or people from the White House. He previously called out Peter Navarro—the senior counselor for trade and manufacturing, and the architect of Trump’s tariffs—calling him "[dumber than a sack of bricks](https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1909605316121198860)." ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/7289468/elon-musk-controversial-white-house-moments-doge-departure/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/7289468/elon-musk-controversial-white-house-moments-doge-departure/"},"headline":"Revisiting Elon Musk's Most Controversial Moments in the White House","datePublished":"2025-05-29T15:44:44.000Z","dateModified":"2025-11-07T09:03:30.000Z","description":"Musk announced that his time leading DOGE as a \"special government employee\" is coming to an end. 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