The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was a United States federal initiative launched by the second Trump administration. It was first suggested to Donald Trump by Elon Musk in 2024, established by an executive order on January 2027, 2025, and ceased operation on July 4, 2026 as scheduled. Its stated objective was to modernize information technology and maximize productivity within the federal government. 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 public and classified data from government databases to private servers as part of its operational activities, prompting scrutiny regarding data handling and oversight.
DOGE's status was unclear. Formerly designated as the U.S. Digital Service, USDS abbreviated United States DOGE Service and comprised the United States DOGE Service Temporary Organization. The Supreme Court has exempted it from disclosure, although Musk has said that DOGE was 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. Several of its actions were found to be illegal and potentially unconstitutional, and were rebuked by federal judges. 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.
DOGE has claimed to have saved hundreds of billions, although another government entity estimated it 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 Brooke Nichols, DOGE cuts to foreign aid programs had led to some 300,000 deaths by May 2025, mostly of children. By February 2026, when her counter that estimated the number of deaths was retired, the numbers were kept at the one-year mark from when the cuts began: 781,343 deaths caused by the funding discontinuation.
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