(Source – Tech Crunch) The Trump administration has disbanded the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the prominent cost-reduction team previously headed by Elon Musk, just months before the initiative was scheduled to conclude.
According to a report from Reuters over the weekend, DOGE has essentially been dismantled, bringing an end to a brief yet tumultuous attempt to reduce federal expenditures, eliminate supposed waste, and reorganize government departments. Established through an executive order in January, DOGE was anticipated to function for almost two years but ceased operations in early November.
Scott Kupor, director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, confirmed the unit’s end, saying DOGE “doesn’t exist” as a centralized body anymore. In a post on X, Kupor added that while leadership had dissolved, the team’s core principles—deregulation, reducing fraud, and reshaping the federal workforce—remain embedded within the U.S. Digital Service.
Amy Gleason, appointed acting administrator earlier this year, offered a tongue-in-cheek response on LinkedIn, posting a Doge meme with the caption “I’m alive.”
DOGE asserted that it saved taxpayers billions, yet critics argue that the unit implemented aggressive cuts with minimal verifiable results.
Lawmakers and advocacy groups have accused DOGE of dismantling vital programs, such as the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), whose closure has been associated with global humanitarian crises and preventable fatalities.
The task force also faced criticism for accessing sensitive federal databases and allegedly mishandling personal data belonging to millions of Americans.
Musk departed from DOGE earlier this year following a public fallout with President Trump, raising concerns among the remaining staff about potential legal risks. As reported by Politico, some employees are worried they might encounter future federal charges without Musk’s influence or the possibility of presidential pardons..
Many former DOGE staffers have since been reassigned to other federal departments, while others have exited government entirely. One of the team’s more notorious members, Edward Coristine—who went viral under the nickname “Big Balls”—said on X in June that he was “officially out” of the unit.
The administration has not indicated whether any successor program will replace DOGE as a centralized efficiency initiative.
