After His Trump Blowup, Musk May Be Out. But DOGE Is Just Getting Started.

With members embedded in multiple agencies, the team’s approach to transforming government is becoming “institutionalized,” as one official put it.

The Rise and Fall of the Doge Department of Government Efficiency: A Digital Era Saga

Tesla boss Elon Musk has left the Trump administration and his role in Doge, the body tasked with reducing US government spending and cutting jobs.

The Department of Government Efficiency has faced legal challenges over the scope of its work, and Musk and his team have been criticised for a lack of transparency as well as their failure to reach savings anywhere near stated goals.

However, polling suggests the idea of cutting federal government spending has widespread support.

Musk’s departure had been rumoured for weeks and was confirmed a few days after he criticised a sweeping budget bill currently in front of Congress.

“I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful,” Musk told CBS News. “But I don’t know if it can be both.”

In a departing news conference at the White House, Trump and Musk showered each other with praise, and the president gave the tech tycoon a large golden key in a wooden box.

Although according to the president, Musk is “not really leaving” and will continue to be “back and forth” to the White House.

What is Doge?
Despite its full name, Doge is not an official government department, which can only be established by an act of Congress.

Instead the advisory body was created by an executive order signed by US President Donald Trump.

Part of Doge’s mission, according to the order, relates to IT upgrades aimed at boosting efficiency. It must finish its work by July 2026, but Trump could issue