The US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has officially been terminated, 18 months after its creation.
President Donald Trump appointed Elon Musk, the American billionaire and founder of Tesla Inc., in November 2024 to lead DOGE, an initiative created to improve efficiency and cut costs within the US government. At the time, Trump was the president-elect.
After assuming office in January 2025, Trump signed an executive order formally establishing DOGE. The initiative was slated to expire on July 4, 2026.
Under Musk, DOGE launched sweeping efforts to reduce the federal workforce and overhaul agencies, including United States Agency for International Development (USAID), with the stated mission of eliminating fraud, waste and abuse.
DOGE’s cost-cutting measures led to more than 260,000 federal employees to leave government service in 2025, according to the office of management and budget.
The departures included reductions in force, early retirements,
