Department of Government Efficiency
Updated: Wikipedia source
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was an initiative by the second Trump administration in the United States. Its stated objective was to modernize information technology, maximize productivity, and cut excess regulations and spending within the federal government. It was first suggested to Donald Trump by Elon Musk in 2024, and was officially established by an executive order on January 20, 2025. Members of DOGE filled influential roles at federal agencies that granted them enough control of information systems to terminate contracts from agencies targeted by Trump's executive orders, with small businesses bearing the brunt of the cuts. DOGE has facilitated mass layoffs and the dismantling of agencies and government funded organizations. It also assisted with immigration crackdowns and copied sensitive data from government databases. DOGE's status is unclear. Formerly designated as the U.S. Digital Service, USDS abbreviates United States DOGE Service and comprises the United States DOGE Service Temporary Organization, scheduled to end on July 4, 2026. Musk has said that DOGE is transparent, while the Supreme Court has exempted it from disclosure. DOGE's actions have been met with opposition and lawsuits. Some critics have warned of a constitutional crisis, while others have likened DOGE's actions to a coup. The White House has claimed lawfulness. The role Musk had with DOGE is also unclear. The White House asserted he was senior advisor to the president, denied he was making decisions, and named Amy Gleason as acting administrator. Trump insisted that Musk headed DOGE. A federal judge found him to be DOGE’s de facto leader, likely needing Senate confirmation under the Appointments Clause. In May 2025, Musk announced plans to pivot away from DOGE; he was working remotely around that time, after compelling federal employees' return to office. Musk left Washington on May 30, soon after his offboarding, along with lieutenant Steve Davis, top adviser Katie Miller, and general counsel James Burnham. Trump had maintained his support for Musk until they clashed on June 5 over the Big Beautiful Bill. His administration reiterated its pledge to the DOGE objective, and Russell Vought said DOGE was being institutionalized, a claim that Scott Kupor corroborated in November 2025, when he announced DOGE ceased to exist and the government-wide hiring freeze was over. DOGE has claimed to have saved hundreds of billions, although other government entities have estimated it to have cost the government $21.7 billion. Another independent analysis estimated that DOGE cuts will cost taxpayers $135 billion; the Internal Revenue Service predicted more than $500 billion in revenue loss due to "DOGE-driven" cuts. Journalists found billions of dollars in miscounting. According to critics, DOGE redefined fraud to target federal employees and programs to build political support; budget experts said DOGE cuts were driven more by political ideology than frugality. Musk, DOGE, and the Trump administration have made multiple claims of having discovered significant fraud, many of which have not held up under scrutiny. As of May 30, 2025, according to one researcher's estimate, DOGE cuts to foreign aid programs had led to some 300,000 deaths, mostly of children. As of December 4, 2025, the estimated number of deaths exceeds 661,000.