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Department of Government Efficiency

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) , }} is an initiative by the second Trump administration to modernize information technology and to maximize productivity of the federal government. It emerged from discussions between Donald Trump and Elon Musk in 2024, and was officially established by an executive order on January 20, 2025. DOGE members have filled influential roles at federal agencies that granted them enough control of information systems to terminate contracts from agencies targeted by Trump's executive orders, with small businesses bearing the brunt of the cuts. DOGE has facilitated mass layoffs and the dismantling of organizations. It has also assisted with immigration crackdowns and copied sensitive data from government databases.

DOGE's status is unclear. Formerly designated as the U.S. Digital Service, ''USDS'' now abbreviates U.S. DOGE Service and comprises the U.S. DOGE Service Temporary Organization, scheduled to end on July 4, 2026. Musk has said that DOGE is transparent, while Trump has tried to exempt DOGE from disclosure. DOGE's actions have been met with opposition and lawsuits. Some critics have warned of a constitutional crisis, while others have likened DOGE's actions to a Coup d'état. Musk did not divest from companies with government contracts that clash with federal regulators, which DOGE is trying to slash. The White House has claimed lawfulness, and suggested that Musk would recuse himself if his interests conflicted.

Musk's role within DOGE is also unclear. The White House has asserted that he is a senior advisor to the president, denied that he is making government decisions, and named Amy Gleason as acting administrator of DOGE. Trump insists that Musk is the head of DOGE. Theodore D. Chuang declared that Musk must be its de facto leader, and thus likely needed to be confirmed by the Senate under the Appointments Clause. Musk announced plans to pivot away from DOGE in May 2025. Musk began working remotely around the same time, months after expressing his intent to ban remote work for federal workers.

From $2 trillion, , DOGE has claimed to have saved $160 billion. An independent analysis estimated these savings cost taxpayers $135 billion; other ones previously found billions of dollars in misaccounting. 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 critics, DOGE is redefining fraud to target federal employees and programs to build political support; budget experts said DOGE cuts were driven more by political ideology than frugality. Trump has maintained his support for Musk and DOGE. Provided by Wikipedia