DOGE is dead

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is no more. The initiative has been quietly dissolved since the departure of de facto leader Elon Musk in May, coming to an end over seven months earlier than scheduled.

Reuters reports that Office of Personnel Management (OPM) director Scott Kupor confirmed DOGE's demise earlier this month, stating that it "doesn't exist" and is no longer a "centralised agency." Many of DOGE's functions have instead been taken over by OPM, as per documents sighted by Reuters. OPM is the U.S. federal government's human resources agency and personnel policy manager.

Kupor appeared to criticise Reuters' article on X, while simultaneously confirming its veracity. DOGE as an organisation is indeed dead, though Kupor stressed that its "principles" continue to persist.

"The truth is: DOGE may not have centralized leadership under [the U.S. DOGE Service, previously known as the U.S. Digital Service]," wrote Kupor. "But, the principles of DOGE remain alive and well: de-regulation; eliminating fraud, waste and abuse; re-shaping the federal workforce; making efficiency a first-class citizen; etc. DOGE catalyzed these changes; the agencies along with [OPM] and [the White House Office of Management and Budget] will institutionalize them!"

White House official Amy Gleason was DOGE's acting administrator, technically holding the position even as Musk operated as its de facto head. As of writing, her LinkedIn page still lists her role at DOGE as ongoing.

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Officially launched in one of the first acts of President Donald Trump's second term, DOGE's purported purpose was to increase government efficiency by cutting costs. This predominantly translated to cutting jobs, with DOGE laying off approximately 280,000 federal workers by April. Multiple government agencies were thrown into chaos, with some shut down or dismantled entirely.

Yet despite this turmoil, the widespread upheaval failed to reap the benefits promised. While Musk had claimed DOGE's actions would save the U.S. government at least $2 trillion, by April he'd revised this goal down to $150 billion. Unfortunately, even this seems to have been an overshot, with DOGE's actual savings reportedly a mere fraction of this fraction. Hundreds of fired federal employees have since been asked to return.

DOGE was initially scheduled to conclude its work on July 4 next year, 18 months after its inception. However, DOGE's activity stalled after Musk departed in May, the billionaire leaving amidst a public falling out with Trump. The organisation fractured in the aftermath, Musk's departure apparently leaving DOGE's staff of recent college graduates and Musk loyalists without unifying direction. Now it seems DOGE has finally dissolved entirely.