The Department of Government Efficiency, a.k.a. DOGE, set up by Elon Musk as part of Donald Trump’s administration no longer exists.
The initiative, championed by Musk with the promise of slashing US government spending and rooting out alleged fraud in departments, has been disbanded, Reuters reports.
This is despite the fact it still has eight months remaining on its mandate, which was due to last until July 4 2026.
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Confirming the end of the DOGE, Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor told Reuters the department “doesn’t exist.”
He added that it is no longer a “centralised entity.”
The brainchild of Elon Musk, DOGE was set up in January and headed by the Tesla CEO during his time as a “special government employee” in Trump’s administration.
Initially, sweeping staffing cuts across some government departments, as some 200,000 federal workers were laid off. USAID was also effectively shuttered thanks to DOGE, ending key funding to aid programmes in other countries.
Along with criticism for its impact on parts of government operations, many have called out DOGE for failing to uncover any of the supposed ‘fraud’ it pledged it would find or making any measurable savings.
Reacting on social media, some labelled it an “all-time grift” and “MAGA scam.”
Over recent months, DOGE staff have been moved into other government positions or removed from government entirely.
Kupor also confirmed to Reuters that the government-wide freezing hire imposed by DOGE is also over, saying there is “no target around reductions anymore.”
Here in the UK, Reform have tried to replicate the scheme at a local level at Kent County Council. However, it’s safe to say that things haven’t gone to plan for the Zia Yusuf-led team, who are realising the reality of local council finances.