94Ha Viewpoint
What is the real reason for Musk’s resignation? Term limit and opposition pressure! On April 1, Musk announced that he would resign from the US federal government at the end of May. In an interview, he expressed confidence that he would be able to achieve the goal of reducing the federal deficit by one trillion US dollars before leaving office. He also pointed out that the US government has serious inefficiency, waste and fraud problems, and it is entirely possible to reduce spending by 15% without affecting key services.
One of the reasons why Musk chose to resign is that his statutory term is about to end. As a special government employee, according to US law, his term of office cannot exceed 130 days in a year. Since taking office on January 31, it has been close to this limit by the end of May. Another reason is that in order to cut government spending, Musk offended many people during his tenure and was worried about facing an unfavorable situation in the future, so he decided to retire.
Since taking office, Musk has carried out radical reforms known as the “Hundred Days Reform”, carrying out large-scale layoffs and institutional reorganizations in various departments of the US government, with the goal of helping the government cut non-essential spending. However, historical experience shows that if reformers are really determined to promote reforms, they may encounter huge resistance or even danger. Without sufficient power and strong support, it is very difficult to successfully implement reforms.
At present, Musk’s main supporter is only Trump, but other people in Trump’s team, such as Vance and Rubio, have a bad relationship with Musk and are unwilling to cooperate with his work. In addition, the outside world has a bad impression of Musk, and many people are hostile to him. An “anti-Musk” movement is sweeping the United States, and Tesla showrooms have been protested many times, even spreading to countries such as the United Kingdom and Spain. Many Tesla vehicles have been sprayed and damaged by protesters, and some have called for selling Tesla’s stocks and cars.
In this situation where there is a lack of strong internal support and growing external opposition, Musk’s resignation is a wise choice. Trump said he would try to retain Musk to continue his position, but if Musk agrees to continue his position, he will not be able to continue due to the term limit for special government employees. Unless he becomes a formal employee, this requires him to resign as Tesla CEO, which Musk is unwilling to accept.
