Tesla CEO Elon Musk removes his hat as he listens to a question from a reporter alongside U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House on May 30, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
When President Donald Trump signed an executive order establishing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in January 2025, the initiative was slated to expire on July 4, 2026, although it officially shut down late last year. Even so, its effects continue to reverberate across the federal government.
The backstory:
DOGE, led by then-Trump adviser Elon Musk, launched sweeping efforts to shrink the federal workforce and overhaul agencies with the stated mission of eliminating fraud, waste and abuse.
RELATED: DOGE officials copied millions of Social Security numbers, whistleblower says
Musk initially set an ambitious goal of cutting $2 trillion in government spending. According to the DOGE website, the initiative saved roughly $215 billion through federal job reductions, canceled contracts and leases, asset sales and rescinded grants.
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DOGE doesn't exist anymore, according to report
President Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has disbanded with eight months left to its mandate, according to an exclusive report by Reuters. LiveNOW's Andy Mac spoke about the department with Courtney Rozen from Reuters.
Dig deeper:
The Trump administration's cost-cutting measures led more than 260,000 federal employees to leave government service in 2025, according to the Office of Management and Budget. The departures included reductions in force, early retirements, deferred resignation programs and the administration's hiring freeze.
RELATED: Trump administration rehires federal employees laid off by DOGE
Despite DOGE's claims, independent organizations that have reviewed aspects of the initiative, along with the Government Accountability Office — Congress' watchdog for taxpayer spending — have been unable to determine how much money was ultimately saved or lost. Many have disputed the administration's reported savings.
What's next:
DOGE's legacy also remains tied up in the courts. More than a dozen lawsuits filed over the past year challenge the Trump administration's actions, including canceled grants, mass layoffs and buyouts, DOGE's access to sensitive Treasury Department data and payment systems, and the closure of major federally funded programs.
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What is Trump's new department DOGE?
FROM THE ARCHIVES: Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will lead the newly formed "Department of Government Efficiency" also known as "DOGE" under Trump's administration. LiveNOW's Andrew Craft discusses what the new department will do with Jon Swartz, a senior writer for TechStrong Group..
What they're saying:
In a friendly interview with his aide and conservative influencer Katie Miller, Musk said his work leading DOGE was only "somewhat successful" and acknowledged that he would not undertake the effort again.
The Tesla and SpaceX CEO, who also owns the social media platform X, nevertheless defended President Donald Trump's controversial government initiative, which he left in the spring before it officially closed in November 2025.
At the same time, Musk acknowledged the challenges of rapidly reshaping the federal government and said his businesses paid a significant price for his role, lamenting both the political backlash and DOGE's unpopularity.
The Source: The Associated Press contributed to this report. This story is based on reporting from the Associated Press, information published by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), data from the Office of Management and Budget and the Government Accountability Office, as well as publicly available federal court records related to ongoing litigation challenging DOGE's actions. This story was reported from Los Angeles.