President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency(DOGE) once the poster child for for its bold plans to cut costs and shake things up in D.C., has officially closed up shop with eight months left on its original charter. This marks a quiet but notable end to the government’s most dramatic attempt at cost-cutting, while channeling some serious Elon Musk vibes.
When Musk was tapped as DOGE’s chief, it sparked controversy both in and out of Washington. Musk was granted wide access as a “special advisor” during the Trump administration’s early push to trim government fat, wave his metaphorical chainsaw at agency budgets, and promise a trillion-dollar deficit reduction by September. But that rather ambitious plan lost steam fast.
DOGE no longer exists, lmfao pic.twitter.com/gZdAYqSV6I
— Polling USA (@USA_Polling) November 23, 2025
According to Reuters, Scott Kupor, the government’s HR chief with the Office of Personnel Management, made it official. “DOGE doesn’t exist,” he stated. Most of its functions and staff have been absorbed by OPM, and it’s faded as a “centralized entity.” Federal hiring freezes, mass firings, and dramatic agency closures didn’t bring lasting savings. In fact, analysts say DOGE’s claimed $214 billion reduction was likely inflated, rewritten, or flat-out exaggerated by its own reporting.
The breakup followed a very public spat between Musk and President Trump over the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” an ambitious package that proved too much for even the world’s loudest billionaire efficiency guru. By late May, Musk had left Washington, taking the original core team with him. Time reports that only a handful of DOGE staffers were left until they eventually merged into routine federal operations.
Difficult to overstate how profound a failure DOGE was. Spending in FY25 was not only than in FY24 – but higher than it was projected to be when Trump took office.*
The little bit of spending DOGE cut has already killed hundreds of thousands and will eventually kill millions. pic.twitter.com/yqmLT1tH7l
— Bobby Kogan (@BBKogan) November 23, 2025
DOGE’s collapse leaves a legacy of scattered staff and unfinished business. Some of Musk’s team quickly jumped ship and landed high-profile gigs under Trump’s National Design Studio. Headed by Airbnb’s Joe Gebbia, they make government websites prettier and more user-friendly. Others joined departments like public health, foreign assistance, and research offices. Interestingly, DOGE initiatives like the government-wide hiring freeze have been quietly lifted.
Despite those early promises, independent reviewers found little public accountability from DOGE. Trump and Musk broadcast their efforts across social media, including Musk’s infamous chainsaw appearance at CPAC. But real, sustainable change remained out of reach. State governments in Idaho and Florida are now dusting off DOGE’s playbook, hoping to localize efficiency without the complications of federal restrictions. But former staff warn that meaningful cost-cutting takes more than flashy executive orders and AI-driven analysis.
DOGE has been DOGE’d
Reuters reports that DOGE no longer exists.
— Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) November 23, 2025
Meanwhile, do not think that Musk’s influence has disappeared now that he has left working for the government. The billionaire recently dined at a glitzy White House event alongside Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Cristiano Ronaldo. Clearly showing that access and power still follow the Tesla CEO far beyond government office doors.
As Trump’s second term comes towards an end, DOGE’s short story stands as both a cautionary tale and an intriguing chapter of the White House. While big promises made by forward-thinking billionaires may be enticing, wrangling, it still remains a challenge to turn viral efficiency into actual savings. DOGE didn’t deliver the trillion-dollar impact, it sure left a lasting mark on political reform discussions. And as far as government shakeups go, Musk surely gave as good as Trump in an ever-changing political arena.
