In a surprising move that marks the end of a controversial government experiment, the Trump administration has shut down the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) eight months before its scheduled completion. The cost-cutting initiative, famously led by billionaire Elon Musk during the early months of President Donald Trump's second term, has been dissolved in what appears to be the administration's ultimate cost-saving measure.
The Final Chapter of DOGE's Brief Existence
When Reuters recently inquired about DOGE's current status, Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor delivered a straightforward response: "That doesn't exist." His confirmation that DOGE is no longer a "centralized entity" signals the official end of an agency that promised sweeping government reform but delivered questionable results. The OPM has since absorbed many of DOGE's functions, effectively dismantling the organization that once captured national attention.
DOGE was created through executive order in January and was expected to operate through July 2026. During its brief but dramatic tenure, the agency aggressively pursued its mission to shrink federal agencies, slash budgets, and redirect government work toward Trump's priorities. Elon Musk, who initially spearheaded the department, became the public face of the initiative, regularly promoting its work on social media and making headlines when he brandished a chainsaw at the Conservative Political Action Conference in February, declaring it "the chainsaw for bureaucracy."
Questionable Savings and Inflated Claims
Throughout its operation, DOGE claimed impressive achievements in reducing government spending, asserting it had slashed tens of billions of dollars in expenditures. The agency's website continues to display claims of approximately $214 billion in savings, though these figures have faced significant scrutiny from financial experts and media outlets.
A Politico review uncovered that DOGE's savings claims were substantially inflated by counting maximum possible contract values rather than actual spending reductions. Outside financial experts found it impossible to verify the agency's assertions because the unit never provided detailed public accounting of its claimed savings, raising questions about the actual impact of its cost-cutting measures.
Staff Scattered Across Government as Agency Dissolves
The shutdown follows Musk's public feud with Trump in May, after which the billionaire entrepreneur left Washington and exited DOGE. Musk's departure triggered a chain reaction, with his "right-hand man" Steve Davis also leaving shortly after his boss's exit. By May, the agency's efforts had resulted in more than 200,000 federal workers being laid off and approximately 75,000 accepting buyouts.
Former DOGE employees have now dispersed to new positions throughout the administration, creating an interesting legacy for the short-lived agency:
- Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia now heads Trump's National Design Studio, tasked with beautifying government websites
- Edward Coristine, a DOGE employee nicknamed "Big Balls," has joined Gebbia's National Design Studio effort
- Acting DOGE Administrator Amy Gleason formally became an adviser to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in March
- Zachary Terrell, part of the DOGE team given access to government health systems, is now chief technology officer at the Department of Health and Human Services
- Rachel Riley, who had similar access, now serves as chief of the Office of Naval Research
- Jeremy Lewin, who helped Musk dismantle the US Agency for International Development, now oversees foreign assistance at the State Department
Scott Langmack, DOGE's representative at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, has been tasked by the White House budget office with creating custom AI applications to analyze US regulations and determine which ones to eliminate, according to his LinkedIn profile.
The government-wide hiring freeze, another hallmark of DOGE's aggressive cost-cutting approach, has also ended. Kupor confirmed there is no longer a target for workforce reductions, signaling a shift in the administration's approach to government efficiency. Spokeswoman Liz Huston told Reuters only that Trump "continues to actively deliver" on reducing waste and fraud, while Trump himself has begun referring to DOGE in the past tense in recent statements to reporters, subtly acknowledging its demise without formal announcement.
