The Government Efficiency Department (DOGE), the ambitious initiative launched by Donald Trump to reduce the size of the federal government, has quietly been disbanded with only eight months left in his term. Originally promoted as a symbol of massive savings and efficiency, critics now see it as a failure with no tangible results.
Scott Kupor, Director of the Office of Personnel Management, told Reuters:
“It doesn’t exist anymore… it’s no longer a centralized entity.”
Created in January, DOGE undertook dramatic interventions across Washington, aiming to quickly cut federal agencies or redirect their work toward Trump’s priorities, but external financial experts note that claimed savings were impossible to verify, as the unit did not provide detailed public accounting.
Key DOGE staff have now been reassigned to the National Design Studio, led by Joe Gebbia, co-founder of Airbnb, tasked with “revamping government websites”. Elon Musk, once leading DOGE, repeatedly publicized the project, famously brandishing a chainsaw to symbolize cutting bureaucracy at a political conference.
Despite Trump and Musk’s theatrics, the alleged budget reductions remain unproven, casting doubt on the program’s effectiveness and giving credence to critics who describe DOGE as more propaganda than genuine reform.
