Elon Musk Quietly Exits His Short-Lived Stint in U.S. Politics

Elon Musk is stepping down from his role advising the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which was part of the U.S. government's new initiative to slash spending.

Known for juggling rockets, robots, and renegade tweets, Musk is now quietly backing out of his short-lived stint in U.S. politics.

As DOGE, cheekily nicknamed "Doge" by insiders, sputters to irrelevance and Tesla, his flagship venture, is flashing red alerts, the billionaire may be returning to what he knows best—trying to rescue a burning ship.

But is it already too late to save both endeavors?

DOGE fades into political oblivion

Musk’s foray into Washington was always more spectacle than substance. Branded as a radical push to slash federal inefficiency, the DOGE initiative set out with the lofty aim of trimming $2 trillion from government spending.

In reality, a meager $150 billion was touched—a symbolic gesture, not a structural change.

Early promises also gave way to half-hearted experiments. One widely-reported move was Musk’s weekly emails to personally demand five accomplishments from every federal worker, threatening sanctions if they weren’t met. It sounded like Musk’s trademark pressure-cooker style, usually used on his companies, being transplanted to D.C. But the stunt fizzled when the Office of Personnel Management clarified that no penalties would ever be applied. The messages are now largely ignored.

Some of the more audacious plans—like a government-wide IRS hackathon and a new initiative to integrate AI into food stamps—were quietly shelved before ever seeing daylight. Experts, particularly in cybersecurity, had raised concerns about DOGE’s directionless leadership and potential cybersecurity risks.

What was sold as creative disruption now looks more like uncoordinated noise as Musk pivots to another urgent matter.

Tesla in crisis mode: Musk gets called home

As Doge flounders and faces an uncertain future, Tesla is approaching what Wall Street analysts are calling “code red.”

Once the crown jewel of Musk’s empire, the electric car giant is showing signs of serious trouble.

Slumping global sales, spotted delays in robotaxi development, and lackluster progress on humanoid robots are rattling investors. Add to that a concerning drop in Tesla’s stock price ahead of its next earnings call, and the picture darkens further.

Tech analyst Dan Ives from Wedbush Securities pulled no punches in a recent interview. “Musk needs to walk away from Doge and return to Tesla immediately. It’s no longer optional.”

According to Ives, Musk’s growing association with political drama is tarnishing Tesla’s brand, especially in crucial markets across Europe and Asia.

Many longtime Tesla fans, especially those in the U.S., are beginning to question whether the car they love still reflects the values they once admired. Musk’s personal controversies, from his social media antics to political posturing, have bled into the company’s public image—and not for the better.

Exit imminent, future uncertain

Technically, Musk still holds his role as a special government employee, a title set to expire by the end of next month. But insiders at both Doge and Tesla suggest the exit door is already open.

His looming departure, however, raises serious questions about what happens to Doge next. Officially, the agency was intended to operate until mid-2026—but without Musk’s star power, it’s hard to see it surviving that long.

As reported by the Commercial Real Estate Finance Council, there’s no successor yet confirmed, no visible roadmap for Doge’s future, and no clarity on whether the agency will evolve in new directions or simply vanish.

What was once pitched as a radical experiment in American governance now risks being remembered as a bureaucratic side quest that went off the rails.

A return to the core mission?

Perhaps leaving politics is less about retreat for Musk and more about a strategic realignment.

Tesla—still arguably the most ambitious of his ventures—needs leadership, not distraction.

Whether he can steer the company through this storm remains to be seen, but one thing’s certain: space travel and meme coins can wait. The electric car revolution he helped ignite now teeters on the brink.

And in a strange way, that’s always been Musk’s pattern—he chases chaos, thrives in it, and then pivots when the flames grow too big. For now, he’s stepping away from Washington.

Whether that means Tesla gets back on course—or becomes his next great detour—is a story still unfolding.