Elon Musk Steps Back from Trump’s Orbit to Refocus on Struggling Tesla

After several months at the helm of the U.S. Government Efficiency Commission, Elon Musk has announced he will significantly scale back his involvement with the Trump administration. Starting in May, the Tesla CEO plans to devote “much less time” to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a task force launched by President Donald Trump to slash federal spending.

This move signals a strategic shift for Musk, whose close ties with the president have sparked widespread controversy both in the U.S. and abroad. “The crucial work of the commission is largely complete,” Musk said during an earnings call, adding that he now intends to refocus his energy on Tesla, which is facing mounting challenges.

Tesla Takes a Hit Amid Political Fallout

In the first quarter of 2025, Tesla reported a 13% year-over-year drop in global deliveries, with just 336,681 vehicles sold. According to Musk and Tesla CFO Vaibhav Taneja, the company’s political entanglements have directly impacted its performance. Protests, vandalism, and boycott campaigns have targeted the brand, particularly across Europe. Some markets have been especially hard hit, compounding the struggles of a company already under pressure from intensifying competition and an aging product line.

A Disputed Legacy in Washington

The DOGE commission, touted as a cost-cutting powerhouse, has seen its impact come under serious scrutiny. Musk’s team claimed to have achieved $8 billion in savings — a figure experts say is closer to $8 million. Some of the commission’s most severe cuts affected foreign aid programs, including HIV treatment in Kenya and South Africa, and hunger relief efforts in Sudan. These measures have drawn international criticism, including from France’s National Academy of Medicine, which called the U.S. withdrawal from global health initiatives a “concerning shift.”

While Musk’s role as a special advisor legally limits him to 130 working days per year, it appears the business fallout has accelerated his decision to step away. For the world’s richest man, the time has come to choose between politics and business. And he seems to have made up his mind.