On May 28, 2025, Elon Musk concluded his tenure as a special government employee in the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). This change became an important indicator of cabinet stability during Trump's second term. Musk, entering government as a tech leader, brought hopes of 'corporate efficiency', yet left just 130 days later, prompting widespread scrutiny of Trump's team's decision-making processes and personnel management.

DOGE, as the centerpiece of Trump’s new policies, aimed to streamline the federal government structure and cut budget waste. Under Musk's leadership, DOGE pushed for massive layoffs and budget reductions, attempting to introduce corporate management practices into the federal framework. However, lacking the legal authority of traditional departments, DOGE relied heavily on support from senior White House officials, facing multiple legal and systemic obstacles during the reform process. Musk's reforms had a noticeable impact on the bureaucracy in the short term but also revealed the U.S. government's strong defensiveness towards outside reform efforts, adjusting radical changes through existing systems and bureaucratic inertia.

On the issue of the 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act', Musk and Trump exhibited clear policy differences. This bill advocated significant tax reform, social welfare cuts, and expanded defense budgets, which Trump viewed as a key policy to realize his campaign promises. Musk argued that the bill could lead to increased deficits and negatively affect the fiscal discipline DOGE was pushing. In a CBS interview, he publicly expressed his dissatisfaction with the bill, stating it would expand the budget deficit and undermine reform efforts.

Aside from policy differences with Trump, Musk also experienced friction with other department heads during the reform efforts at DOGE. He emphasized the high efficiency and direct execution of corporate decision-making, but federal government operations require negotiation, compromise, and checks and balances from multiple parties. Several cabinet members voiced concerns that the pace of DOGE reforms was too hurried and lacked adequate communication, questioning the accuracy of data on some budget cuts. As external oversight pressures increased, DOGE gradually reduced the details made public, further weakening its policy momentum and affecting Musk's influence within the decision-making circle.

The incident surrounding Musk's departure highlighted structural issues within Trump's cabinet regarding power allocation, conflict of interest, and decision-making culture. DOGE's lack of legal authority meant that leaders had to bear significant reform responsibilities without complete institutional backing. Musk's multiple business interests created ambiguity in his role and raised concerns regarding the fairness of government reforms due to potential conflicts of interest.

Musk's resignation provides multiple insights for the international community. Firstly, when negotiating with the Trump administration, it is crucial to recognize the high personnel turnover and policy uncertainty within the cabinet to avoid overreliance on any single individual or communication channel. Secondly, international partners should advocate for institutionalized formal dialogue mechanisms to mitigate the risks brought by personal relationship changes. For Taiwan, while institutionalized communication can help mitigate policy risks, intense party competition and uncertainties in Taiwan's political system remain. Emphasizing formal institutional communication may help stabilize U.S.-Taiwan relations, but in reality, a flexible approach utilizing various channels is still necessary to accommodate the complexities of both parties' systems and political realities.

In conclusion, Musk's departure not only marks the end of an experiment in 'technocratic governance' but also highlights the importance of institutional resilience and professional operation in modern democratic governance systems. In the face of highly uncertain international and domestic environments, flexibility and diverse communication remain essential. The future reform direction and cabinet stability of the Trump administration will continue to capture global attention.