Trump halts Department of Government Efficiency eight months early

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been wound down, with centralized operations stopped eight months before the charter’s end, according to Reuters.

The wind-down comes as the administration considers a draft rule that would make it easier for agencies to close offices and terminate programs. Under the framework being weighed, agencies could lay off staff without considering performance or tenure when an entire unit is closed.

DOGE’s brief run included shifting mandates and public confusion around Elon Musk’s involvement, driven by the unit’s acronym matching the Dogecoin cryptocurrency he has promoted. Soon after launch, the Dogecoin logo briefly appeared on the department’s website, and the token’s price rose 14.4%. 

Around the same time, the department began exploring blockchain technology to improve transparency and to track government operations and spending. In February, a document signed by Joshua Fisher, director of the Office of Administration, clarified that Musk had no authority to make government decisions in connection with DOGE.

Also in February, a multi-state lawsuit filed in federal court alleged the administration unlawfully granted Musk and DOGE members access to sensitive Treasury payment systems that process Social Security, veterans’ benefits, Medicaid reimbursements, and other federal disbursements. 

The complaint asserted that individuals without Treasury roles were given elevated privileges that exposed personal and financial data. The administration has not detailed its response to the claims.

In early April, accounts circulated that Musk planned to exit DOGE. By May, Musk indicated he had left the department. In June, a public rift between Musk and Trump played out online, adding to uncertainty around the administration’s messaging on DOGE.

Created in January by executive order to support President Donald Trump’s cost-cutting agenda, the unit was intended to streamline federal operations and reduce spending. Officials now describe the office as no longer existing as a “centralized entity.”