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Department of Government Efficiency
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) , }} is 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 within several federal agencies, where they obtained administrative access to information systems used in procurement and personnel management, terminated certain government contracts, and facilitated mass layoffs and staff reductions. DOGE personnel also assisted with immigration enforcement. Reports indicated that DOGE accessed and copied data from government databases as part of its operational activities, prompting scrutiny regarding data handling and oversight.
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. The Supreme Court has exempted it from disclosure, although Musk has said that DOGE is transparent. DOGE's actions have been met with opposition and lawsuits, with some critics warning of a constitutional crisis, and others likening DOGE's actions to a coup. The White House has insisted on the lawfulness of DOGE's activities.
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. 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 in June over passage of 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. , according to the estimates of Professor Brooke Nichols, DOGE cuts to foreign aid programs had led to some 300,000 deaths, mostly of children. As of January 1, 2026, her counter that estimates the number of deaths exceeds 720,200.
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