House Democrats demand Musk's resignation from Trump admin by May 30
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A group of Democratic lawmakers is ready to utilize legal and political tools to force Musk out of the White House by the end of May.
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US President Donald Trump listens to Elon Musk as he arrives to watch SpaceX's mega rocket Starship lift off for a test flight from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, on November 19, 2024. (Pool via AP)
A coalition of 77 House Democrats is launching a coordinated campaign to force Elon Musk out of the Trump administration by the end of May, Axios has learned.
The move centers on a federal law limiting how long "special government employees", the status Musk holds while leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), can remain in such a role.
In a sharply worded letter addressed to US President Donald Trump, Democratic lawmakers insisted that Musk must resign and relinquish any decision-making authority by May 30, citing the 130-day service limit imposed by federal ethics rules.
“We demand an immediate public statement from your administration making clear that Musk will resign and surrender all decision making authority, as required by law, by May 30th,” the lawmakers wrote.
The letter also warns that Musk cannot return to the role for at least a year unless he fully divests from his private companies, including Tesla and SpaceX. This is a condition Democrats argue is necessary to avoid conflicts of interest.
Musk was previously battered after reports claimed the State Department would purchase Tesla Cybertrucks, manufactured and sold by Musk's Tesla.
His six companies already benefit from approximately $20 billion in government contracts, in addition to multiple subsidies. The billionaire has insisted these contracts were awarded on merit and delivered value to taxpayers.
However, after donating more than $250 million to Donald Trump’s 2024 re-election campaign, Musk now leads a cost-cutting initiative across federal agencies—including those that have previously investigated or penalized his companies, Tesla and SpaceX.
Mounting pressure
Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and lead author of the letter, told Axios that this is only the beginning.
“We're making it very clear that the public pressure is only going to ramp up on Republicans between here and May 30,” Casar said, adding that Democrats are prepared to use a combination of legal, political, and public pressure tactics.
“We have legal tools at our disposal, political tools at our disposal,” Casar emphasized, vowing a sustained campaign to enforce compliance with federal ethics laws.
Legal Gray Area?
The Trump White House may attempt to defend Musk’s continued role by citing a memo from the Office of Government Ethics, issued during the Biden administration, which argued that unpaid travel days should not count toward the 130-day limit.
But many Democrats remain unconvinced, accusing the administration of flaunting not only government ethics rules but the Constitution itself on multiple fronts.
While it's unclear whether the White House will formally respond to the letter, the escalating standoff signals yet another flashpoint in the ongoing battle between House Democrats and the Trump administration over transparency, ethics, and the involvement of high-profile private sector figures in public governance.
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