NEW YORK — Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner abruptly resigned from his top post at the U.S. passenger railroad this week.

Wednesday’s announcement signaled that the leadership change came down to Amtrak maintaining support from U.S. President Donald Trump. In a statement, Gardner said he was stepping down “to ensure that Amtrak continues to enjoy the full faith and confidence of this administration.”

A successor for Gardner was not immediately named.

Gardner’s departure also arrives just weeks after billionaire Elon Musk floated the idea of privatizing Amtrak, as well as the U.S. Postal Service, at a Morgan Stanley tech conference earlier this month.

Musk, who has been at the forefront of the Trump administration’s aggressive push to downsize the federal government through the Department of Government Efficiency, reportedly called Amtrak “kind of embarrassing” — while comparing the U.S. carrier to passenger rails seen in other countries, such as bullet trains in China.

Citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter, Reuters reported Wednesday that Gardner was asked to step down at the request of Trump, who previously sought to cut Amtrak’s budget in his first term.

Gardner first got his start with Amtrak as an intern back in the 90s. He later returned and worked at the rail service for the past 16 years, holding the title of CEO since January 2022.