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Department of Government Efficiency

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"D.O.G.E." redirects here. For other uses, see Doge (disambiguation).

U.S. DOGE Service Temporary Organization
Logo as of January 2025

The Eisenhower Executive Office Building, where the DOGE office is located
Temporary organization overview
FormedJanuary 20, 2025;
24 days ago (2025-01-20)
JurisdictionU.S. federal government
HeadquartersEisenhower Executive Office Building, Washington, D.C., U.S.
Annual budget$14.4 million as of February 12, 2025; up from $6.75 million at inception[1]
Temporary organization executive
Parent agencyUnited States DOGE Service
Websitedoge.gov
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Publications by the Department of Government Efficiency.

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE),[note 1] officially the U.S. DOGE Service Temporary Organization, is an initiative of the second Trump administration led by Elon Musk.[2] Despite its name, DOGE is not a Cabinet-level department of the United States government, but a temporary contracted government organization under the United States DOGE Service, formerly known as the United States Digital Service.[3][4] DOGE's stated purpose is to reduce wasteful and fraudulent federal spending, and eliminate excessive regulations.[5] The organization was created to "modernize federal technology and software to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity" by an executive order by President Donald Trump on January 20, 2025,[6][4] and is scheduled to end on July 4, 2026.[5]

Its creation and subsequent actions have been the subject of significant controversy, including protests and ongoing lawsuits. Legal experts have noted multiple apparent violations of federal law regarding the access of personal and private information.[citation needed] DOGE's actions of dissolving agencies and seizure of congressionally authorized funds have been described as violating Article 1 of the United States Constitution and creating a potential "constitutional crisis". Some Democratic Party members criticized DOGE's actions, stating that the organization does not have the authority for its actions, calling their actions a "takeover", "freeze", or "coup".[7][8][9] The White House and the Republican Party defended DOGE and Musk, stating they were in full compliance with federal law.[10]

Twenty-four days after DOGE began, The New York Times reported Trump had claimed he and Musk had found "billions and billions of dollars" in corrupt spending, though they did not provide evidence.[11] Musk asserts all DOGE actions are "maximally transparent," though its X account often posts false or misleading information and its website is blank; Trump granted DOGE an exemption from public disclosure of its activities.[12][13][14]

History

Conception

Elon Musk (left) has been appointed by Donald Trump (right) to head DOGE.[15]

DOGE has been linked to Trump's campaign promises to reduce federal spending, the size and influence of the federal government, and the size of the federal fiscal deficit.[16][17] The concept of DOGE emerged in a discussion between Elon Musk and Donald Trump, where Musk floated the idea of a department for streamlining government efficiency. In August 2024, Trump said at a campaign event that, if he were elected, he would be open to giving Musk an advisory role.[18] In response, Musk wrote a post on X saying "I am willing to serve", along with an AI-created image of him standing in front of a lectern marked "Department of Government Efficiency".[19] The organization's acronym, DOGE, has been described as referring to Dogecoin, a meme coin that Musk promotes,[20] and, in turn, to Kabosu, a Shiba Inu dog who achieved Internet fame as a meme.[21] The DOGE website's official launch prominently featured the Dogecoin logo, which shows Kabosu.[22]

Musk was the largest donor in the 2024 United States presidential election spending over $290 million in support of Trump and other Republicans, primarily in the final five weeks of the campaign, in order to hold influence in the new administration.[23]

Musk suggested that the organization could help to cut the U.S. federal budget by up to $2 trillion by reducing waste, abolishing redundant agencies, and downsizing the federal workforce. Ramaswamy had also stated that DOGE may eliminate entire federal agencies and reduce the number of federal employees by as much as 75%.[24][25] DOGE may attempt to do this through re-implementing Schedule F, by which those in certain policy influencing positions are made easier to lay off.[26] Musk has also proposed consolidating the number of federal agencies from more than 400 to fewer than 100.[27] He has described deregulation as the only path to the SpaceX Mars colonization program and promised he will "get the government off people's back and out of their pocket".[28] The New York Times reported in November 2024 that the organization is similar to attempts before it, including president Theodore Roosevelt's Keep Commission, Ronald Reagan's Grace Commission headed by J. Peter Grace, and vice president Al Gore's National Partnership for Reinventing Government.[29]

On October 28, 2024, at a Trump campaign rally in Madison Square Garden, Musk stated that he believed DOGE could reduce federal government spending by $2 trillion[30] (a figure higher than the federal government's total discretionary spending in 2023).[31][32][33] After the election, he said $2 trillion would be a best-case scenario, but he had a "good shot" at cutting $1 trillion.[34] Musk has not specified whether these savings would be made over a single year or a longer period; federal budget experts generally assess fiscal matters over a 10-year budget window.[35][36]

Planning and member acquisition

On November 5, 2024, Musk suggested that former U.S. representative and two-time Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul could work with DOGE.[37][38]

On January 19, 2025, CBS News reported Ramaswamy was expected to step away from DOGE to instead run for the governorship of Ohio. CBS also reported there had been internal friction between Ramaswamy and Musk, with Musk's supporters reportedly "privately undercutting" Ramaswamy and encouraging him to depart from DOGE over his alleged lack of engagement with the project.[39][40] On January 20, following the second presidential inauguration of Trump, the White House clarified that Ramaswamy would not be serving in DOGE.[41] On January 27, Ramaswamy said that he had resigned after a "mutual discussion" with Musk. Ramaswamy described his own focus as "a constitutional law, legislative-based approach", in contrast with Musk's "technology approach, which is the future approach".[42] Musk is leading the organization, but his official role is not clear.[43]

On January 21, The New York Times reported that the executive order establishing DOGE would rename the United States Digital Service to "United States DOGE Service" and create "DOGE teams" embedded within federal agencies consisting of at least four special government employees that would have "full and prompt access to all unclassified agency records, software systems and IT systems" to the "maximum extent consistent with law". Officially, the group's goal is to advance the "president's DOGE agenda" by "modernizing federal technology and software to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity". The budget of the service was unknown, and several of the employees were expected to be unpaid volunteers.[2]

Congressional caucus

On November 19, 2024, representatives Aaron Bean (R-FL) and Pete Sessions (R-TX) launched the congressional Delivering Outstanding Government Efficiency Caucus (DOGE Caucus) to support the DOGE mission.[44]

Plans to create a new congressional subcommittee were announced on November 21 by the House Oversight Committee chairman James Comer (R-KY).[45] This new subcommittee will be called the Delivering on Government Efficiency Subcommittee, will be chaired by representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), and will work closely with DOGE to reduce governmental expenditures.[46][47][48][49] On November 22, senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) was appointed to lead the corresponding Senate DOGE Caucus.[50][51] In December 2024, Ernst proposed a bill dubbed "Drain the Swamp Act", which would require each executive agency to relocate at least 30 percent of employees working at Washington, D.C., headquarters to offices located outside of the D.C. metro area; while also restricting the ability to telework.[52][53][54] In December 2024, Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), the only Democrat to have joined the newly formed DOGE caucus in Congress at the time, proposed reorganizing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) by potentially removing agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Secret Service from its jurisdiction. This proposal aimed to reduce the size of the DHS.[55]

In the Senate, Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) was appointed to lead the corresponding Senate DOGE Caucus on November 22. The House counterpart functions as a subcommittee of the House Oversight Committee.[19][56] The caucus led by Republicans is a separate entity from Elon Musk's advisory DOGE department. The caucus is also separate from the DOGE House subcommittee.[57] Several Democrats have expressed support and willingness to work with DOGE, including representatives Moskowitz (D-FL) and Ro Khanna (D-CA),[55] Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY),[55] and Rep. Val Hoyle (D-OR).[57] On December 17, the DOGE caucus held its first meeting, with over 60 members in attendance, according to Bean, which lawmakers described as largely organizational.[58] The attendees included three Democrats – Steven Horsford (D-NV), Hoyle, and Moskowitz.[58] The discussions encouraged lawmakers to think of what kind of DOGE goals would be "worthwhile lifts", "quick wins", "lower priority", and "low-hanging fruit", and a likely "low-hanging fruit" was mentioned as "people going back to work".[58]

By February 5, Rep. Moskowitz stated that he wasn't sure if he would remain in the commission, stating that it was potentially irrelevant and that "I need to see one of my Republican colleagues in the caucus explain the point of the caucus, because it seems that Elon doesn't need them, because it seems what Elon is doing is destroying the separation of powers. And I don't think the DOGE caucus at this moment really has a purpose."[59]

Stated objectives

The caucus claims to support the Department of Government Efficiency in its mission to dismantle excessive government bureaucracy, reduce unnecessary regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure federal agencies. This initiative aligns with President-elect Donald Trump's directive to Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who were appointed to lead the Department of Government Efficiency.[19][50]

The establishment of the DOGE Caucus has garnered attention for its goals of reducing government spending and bureaucracy. While supporters advocate for increased efficiency and fiscal responsibility, critics express skepticism regarding the feasibility of achieving significant budget cuts without affecting essential services. Concerns have also been raised about potential conflicts of interest, given the private sector backgrounds of key figures involved in the Department of Government Efficiency.[60] Several other Democrats have begun offering ideas for DOGE, including Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), who has ideas on cutting agency redundancies, instituting self-populating tax forms, as well as scrapping fossil fuel subsidies.[55] Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH) has proposed reducing the size of many government forms, such as student financial aid applications and tax return forms, while Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) suggested making it easier to obtain permits for infrastructure and development projects. Further, Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) has stated that he is working on a bill to "move all the federal agencies out of D.C." and send them to states.[55]

Funding

As of February 4, 2025, $6.75 million had been apportioned to DOGE. Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) observed that this was "nearly twice the annual salaries and expenses budget of the White House".[61] By February 12 the budget had more than doubled to $14.4 million.[62]

DOGE workforce

Musk was given "special government employee" status, a title reserved for advisors to the federal government. It is a temporary position that allows greater access but bypasses some of the disclosure obligations required of full time employees.[63]

DOGE's offices are located in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building[64] and has about 20 employees there, with other teams embedded in federal agencies.[34] The DOGE team reports to Steve Davis, a longtime Musk advisor and CEO of Musk's the Boring Company, who played a key role in cutting costs at X and SpaceX. The New York Times reported Davis "has himself amassed extraordinary power across federal agencies";[15] his role, though, has yet to be formally announced by the White House.[65] Musk himself has been present with his team. In January 2025, Wired reported he was sleeping at the Eisenhower Building.[66]

On November 14, 2024, on social media, Musk called for individuals who were interested in working for the organization to send CVs to DOGE's X account via DM.[67] At the time, only premium X subscribers could do so due to default messaging restrictions, but the account later enabled DMs for all users.[68][69] Musk has said that DOGE "has some of [the] world's best software engineers".[65]

Members

Luke Farritor is one of the several engineers aged 19–24 with little to no experience in government.

On December 22, 2024, Trump announced that Katie Miller, the wife of then-incoming deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller, would be joining DOGE.[70] On February 2, Wired reported the hires included several engineers aged 19–24 with little to no experience in government, including Akash Bobba, Edward Coristine, Luke Farritor, Marko Elez,[71] Gautier Cole Killian, Gavin Kliger, and Ethan Shaotran.[72][73] They and others of the approximately 40 people working for DOGE under Musk have aggressively questioned federal employees, refusing to disclose their last names, leaving their cameras turned off during video calls,[65] calling federal employees "dinosaurs", and referring to conversations as "one-way interviews"; many of them are working at various agencies and using multiple anonymous email addresses.[74][75] Farritor, for example, has at least three email accounts at various agencies with plans for more.[65] The team has been called "Doge Kids" by some reporters.[76][77]

DOGE had also planned to install Aram Moghaddassi, an employee at Musk's Neuralink and X companies, and Michael Russo, a tech executive, at Treasury; Russo is instead now chief information officer for the Social Security Administration.[78]

Wired reported that Musk's team also includes Riccardo Biasini, a former Tesla engineer; Amanda Scales, who worked at Musk's xAI; and two others that the magazine did not name because of their young ages – one was 21 and the other a teenager.[79]

The Associated Press reported that X employee Nicole Hollander is "embedded" at the General Services Administration (GSA), seeking to initiate thousands of lease cancellations on federal buildings.[80] Musk attempted to hire a Turkish national, Baris Akis, but the White House intervened.[81]

In January 2025, the GSA announced the appointment of Joshua Gruenbaum as Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) commissioner, former Tesla employee Thomas Shedd as FAS deputy commissioner, Russell McGranahan as General Counsel, and Michael Peters as Public Buildings Service commissioner.[82] Shedd, a former Tesla employee, said that DOGE is "afraid of those folks' names getting out and their personal lives being disrupted".[75] He is often accompanied by Coristine and Shaotran.[65]

The Guardian and Bloomberg identified Jeremy Lewin.[83][84] Lewin is a 27-year-old Harvard Law graduate who studied under Laurence Tribe. Lewin wrote two op-eds with Tribe.[85] In one of them they argued for the liquidation of Russia's federal reserves, to be given to Ukraine.[86]

List of DOGE workers
Name Title/role Federal agencies Past employer(s) Notes Ref.
Jacob Altik Lawyer EOP D.C. Cir., Supreme Court Clerked for Judge Neomi Rao; scheduled to clerk for Justice Neil Gorsuch [87][88]
Anthony Armstrong Senior Adviser to the Director OPM Morgan Stanley (banker) Worked on Musk's Twitter purchase [87]
Jehn Balajadia ED Elon Musk (assistant) Musk's assistant for years [65]
Alexandra T. Beynon Executive Office of the President Mindbloom (engineer) [87]
Riccardo Biasini Senior Adviser to the Director OPM Boring Company, Tesla Involved with new government-wide email system at OPM [87]
Brian Bjelde Senior Adviser OPM SpaceX, Twitter Known as a "top DOGE lieutenant" [87]
Akash Bobba Senior Adviser to the Director OPM Bridgewater Associates (intern), Meta (intern), Palantir (intern) Studied management, entrepreneurship, and technology at UC Berkeley [87][89]
James Burnham General Counsel EOP Supreme Court (clerk for Neil Gorsuch), Jones Day (litigation partner), White House High-ranking Justice Department and White House official from the first Trump administration [87][88]
Nate Cavanaugh GSA Brainbase, FlowFi (co-CEO) [87][90]
Edward Coristine Expert; Senior Adviser OPM, DOS, DHS, FEMA, USAID Neuralink (intern) Fired from internship at Path in 2022 for leaking internal information

Also referred in media by his social media account, "Big Balls"

[87][91][92][93]
Steve Davis Boring Company (CEO) Longtime Musk confidante [87]
Marko Elez USDT SpaceX (engineer), Twitter (engineer) Fired from DOGE for past racist posts; later re-hired [87]
Luke Farritor Executive Engineer in the Office of the Secretary HHS, DOS SpaceX (intern) Attended the University of Nebraska–Lincoln [87][92]
Amy Gleason US Digital Service [65]
Joshua Gruenbaum Federal Acquisition Service Commissioner GSA [82]
Nicole Hollander GSA Twitter [80]
Stephanie Holmes Human Resources Jones Day (lawyer), Oklo (chief people officer) [87]
Gautier "Cole" Killian Federal Detailee EPA Jump Trading (engineer) [87]
Gavin Kliger Senior Adviser to the Director CFPB, OPM, USAID Databricks, LinkedIn Reposted Nick Fuentes mocking interracial families [87][94][65]
Keenan D. Kmiec[a] Lawyer EOP InterPop, federal circuit court (clerk, Samuel Alito), Supreme Court (clerk, Roberts), Tezos Son of Douglas Kmiec [87][88]
Tom Krause Expert USDT Citrix Systems (CEO) Said to have access to payment systems at Treasury [87][95]
Jeremy Lewin CFPB, GSA [85]
Kendall M. Lindemann Executive Office of the President Associate at Russell Street Ventures, founded by Brad Smith [87]
Russell McGranahan General Counsel GSA [82]
Katie Miller Spokesperson Mike Pence (press secretary) Wife of White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller [87][96]
Aram Moghaddassi Neuralink, Twitter [78]
Justin Monroe Adviser FBI SpaceX, US Navy (information warfare officer) First naval information warfare officer to be commissioned out of the Naval Academy in 2011 [87][97]
Elon Musk Head (title unknown) SpaceX, Tesla, Twitter, xAI [87]
Michael Peters PBS Commissioner GSA [82]
Nikhil "Nik" Rajpal Expert CFPB, NOAA, OPM Twitter Studied computer science and history at UC Berkeley [87][94][98]
Adam Ramada Executive Office of the President Investment firm with links to a SpaceX alumnus [87]
Rachel Riley Senior Adviser in the Office of the Secretary HHS McKinsey & Company [87]
Ryan Riedel Chief Information Officer DOE SpaceX (network security engineer) [87]
Michael Russo Chief Information Officer SSA Shift4 Payments (executive and senior adviser) [87]
Amanda Scales Chief of Staff OPM Uber (recruiting), xAI (HR) Attended the University of California, Davis [87][99]
Kyle Schutt Software engineer GSA Revv, WinRed [87]
Ethan Shaotran Senior at Harvard University; runner-up in xAI hackathon; received $100,000 grant from OpenAI [72][100]
Thomas Shedd Federal Acquisition Service Deputy Commissioner; Director of Technology Transformation Services GSA Tesla (engineer) [87]
Brad Smith FEMA COVID-19 Supply Chain Stabilization Task Force Allegedly pushed during the COVID-19 pandemic to adjust a government model in order to produce fake estimates showing lower death rates; friend of Jared Kushner [87][101]
Christopher Stanley Aide to Musk (title unknown) Twitter Assisted with the pardons of January 6 rioters [87]
Jordan M. Wick Executive Office of the President Waymo Massachusetts Institute of Technology [87]
Chris Young PhRMA (senior political official) Republican political advisor, hired by Musk in 2024 [65][102]

Staff controversy

On February 6, The Wall Street Journal reported that Elez had resigned from his role "after he was linked to a deleted social-media account that advocated racism and eugenics"[103] — having written that "I would not mind at all if Gaza and Israel were both wiped off the face of the Earth" in June 2024; "Just for the record, I was racist before it was cool" in July; and "You could not pay me to marry outside of my ethnicity" and "Normalize Indian hate" in September.[104][105][106] The following day, Musk polled X users as to whether Elez should be rehired.[107][108] JD Vance also called for Elez to be rehired, saying that "I don't think stupid social media activity should ruin a kid's life. We shouldn't reward journalists who try to destroy people. Ever. So I say bring him back."[109][110] Musk then promised to re-hire him.[111]

Edward Coristine, the 19-year-old son of LesserEvil's owner,[112] had been previously fired from an internship at Arizona-based data-security company Path Network in 2022 for "leaking internal information" to competing businesses. He boasted on Discord, weeks after being fired, about having retained access to the servers.[91][65] In 2021, Coristine launched Tesla.Sexy LLC, a business that manages web domains, some of them registered in Russia.[113] Many URL redirection to his website referenced, among other abuses, pedophilia and the Klu Klux Klan.[114] He also collaborated with 'The Com', a social network of hackers associated to cybercriminal activity.[115] According to experts, Coristine's past activities raise security clearance issues.[116]

Kliger, aged 25, previously reposted a social media post mocking interracial families written by Nick Fuentes, and published an article titled "Why DOGE: Why I Gave Up a Seven-Figure Salary to Save America", which was blank and hidden behind a $1,000/month paywall.[65]

Allegations DOGE employee identities are legally protected

Elon Musk has prioritized secrecy regarding DOGE.[15] On February 3, interim United States Attorney for the District of Columbia Ed Martin released a statement saying that "certain individuals and/or groups have committed acts that appear to violate the law in targeting DOGE employees" and noted that "prosecutors" were "preparing".[117] After some of those involved in DOGE were identified online, Musk accused those who had posted of breaking the law.[63][65] "Don't mess with DOGE", posted Musk that night on X.[118] Martin sent Musk and his deputy Steve Davis a letter on February 7 saying that based on a referral from Musk he had opened an investigation into government employees Musk accused of stealing property and making threats. Martin wrote, "If people are discovered to have broken the law or even acted simply unethically, we will investigate them and we will chase them to the end of the Earth to hold them accountable." Martin posted the letter on his personal X account.[119]

After the names of DOGE employees began circulating on Reddit — and some users suggested violence — site administrators posted that Reddit had "seen an increase in content in several communities that violate Reddit Rules. Debate and dissent are welcome on Reddit - threats and doxing are not." The popular subreddit r/WhitePeopleTwitter was subsequently banned for three days, and a small subreddit called r/IsElonDeadYet was permanently removed.[120]

Functions

doge.gov home page as it appeared in early February 2025

Despite its name, DOGE is not a federal executive department, which would require an act of Congress to create. Following its announcement but prior to its formal establishment, Vox had speculated the body would be "unlikely to have any regulatory teeth on its own, but there's little doubt that it can have influence on the incoming administration and how it will determine its budgets".[121]

Donald Trump said DOGE would help to "dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures and restructure federal agencies". He also stated that DOGE will work with the Office of Management and Budget to address what he called "massive waste and fraud" in government spending.[122]

Eliminating agencies

On November 27, 2024, Musk proposed eliminating the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.[123][124]

On December 12, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Trump team and officials from DOGE had inquired about abolishing the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). It also reported on several differing plans to combine and restructure the FDIC, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and Federal Reserve.[125]

Lifespan

According to tweets by Musk and Ramaswamy, the ultimate goal of DOGE is to improve government efficiency to the point where DOGE itself is no longer necessary. The organization has a set expiration date of July 4, 2026, the United States Semiquincentennial (250th anniversary), which follows Ramaswamy's idea that most government projects should have clear expiration dates.[126]

Trump stated that the entity's work will "conclude" no later than July 4, 2026,[127] also coinciding with a proposed "Great American Fair".[128] Trump called the proposed results of DOGE "the perfect gift to America".[129]

Actions within federal government

In late January 2025, The Washington Post described Musk's DOGE gaining access to large parts of the federal government, installing surrogates and former employees of Musk's companies as heads at several agencies.[130] Wired reported that the top ranks of the human resources-focused United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM) had been filled by new hires who had formerly worked for either Elon Musk; Peter Thiel of Palantir Technologies, a United States Department of Defense contractor; Republican politicians or right-wing media outlets, while Musk's allies were installed into the technology-focused General Services Administration and planned massive spending cuts.[131][132]

Bulk layoffs and mass resignations of US government staff

Main article: U.S. federal deferred resignation program

On January 28, the OPM offered a "deferred resignation" program to federal government employees to announce their resignation by February 6, while stating that employees who resigned would still receive salary and benefits until September 30, 2025.[133] The offer made was similar to Elon Musk's notice to employees after he took control of Twitter.[134][135] By the day before the February 6 deadline, more than 40,000 employees had accepted the offer, well below expectations.[136]

One federal judge overseeing a lawsuit aimed at blocking these "fork in the road" offers received one such email, presumably by mistake.[137]

A Washington Post article published in 2014 reported that at an underground limestone mine in Boyers, Pennsylvania, contained the retirement paperwork of federal employees that was processed by hand and stored in cardboard boxes. It takes an average of 61 days to process the retirement of each federal employee.[138] In February 2025, Musk mocked the outdated technology that was being used to process these retirements. A BBC article on Musk's comments made reference to the 2014 Washington Post article.[139]

Disclosure exemptions

The United States Digital Service was previously subject to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) transparency laws in a government reporting chain through the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).[140] As of February 5, 2025, all DOGE staff were ordered to stop posting to Slack, an online chat and collaboration tool that they had been using, as DOGE transitioned from OMB oversight to instead work under the White House Chief of Staff, which Musk and OMB believe would allow them to keep DOGE communications and operations from public oversight.[140]

The New York Times reported on February 10 that the Trump administration had placed DOGE under the purview of the Presidential Records Act, exempting it from disclosure of its documents, communications and records to the public and in most judicial actions until at least 2034.[141]

Agencies affected

The Washington Post reported on February 5 that DOGE had sought access to data at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).[142] The Wall Street Journal reported on February 5 that DOGE had gained access to key payment and contracting systems at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).[143] CMS officials as of February 6 declined to reveal what medical and financial records of Americans that Musk had gained access to.[144]

United States Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Chris Wright, against guidance of the DOE's General Counsel and chief information officers, allowed Luke Farritor of DOGE to access DOE computer networks.[145] CNN quoted DOE staff in the general counsel and chief information offices as calling Farritor's access a "bad idea", and that "He's not cleared to be in DOE, on our systems."[145] DOGE gained access to financial systems at the Department of Health and Human Services as well as extremely restricted medical data related to most Americans in heavily access-controlled systems such as the Healthcare Integrated General Ledger Accounting System (HIGLAS).[142] HIGLAS is described by the Washington Post as "a vast database that touches nearly every corner of American health care", and that restricted staff with access undergo mandatory specialized training for privacy protections under the Federal law Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA.[142] The Washington Post noted it was unknown if DOGE operatives were HIPAA compliant under Federal law.[142]

On February 5, 2025, it was disclosed the DOGE operatives had accessed computer databases and medical records at the Department of Veterans Affairs, with internal VA reports that DOGE was "data mining" disability compensation and benefits of United States Armed Forces military veterans.[146] In the wake of the 2025 Potomac River mid-air collision, United States Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy announced on February 5, 2025, that DOGE would intervene with the Federal Aviation Administration to "upgrade our aviation system".[147] Elon Musk directly expanded on this, claiming support of President Trump to "make rapid safety upgrades to the air traffic control system".[147] Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was critical of DOGE's FAA safety involvement, noting that many DOGE staff were not old enough to rent a car in the United States.[147]

At the end of January, Musk's group took over the General Services Administration (GSA), which manages federal real estate and technology. Wired magazine reported "an effort to use IT credentials from the Executive Office of the President to access GSA laptops and internal GSA infrastructure".[148] 404 Media reported that, at an all-hands meeting of all National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) employees on February 4, Deputy Director Jay Boskano stated that the agency had not received "any requests" from DOGE, that DOGE is not currently "looking to gain access" to National Archives systems, and stated there may be "unique opportunities to work with DOGE" to benefit the National Archives in the future.[149] Luke Farritor of DOGE was given access to computer systems of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), the department responsible for the security and protection of American nuclear technologies and nuclear weapons, by United States Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Chris Wright, against guidance of the DOE's general counsel and chief information offices.[145]

ABC News reported on February 6 that DOGE operatives had gained access to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) computer systems. Staff from the NOAA Information Technology group and the Department of Commerce attempted to keep the operatives from the systems according to security protocols, but the operatives defied authorized security staff and forcefully entered the facilities.[150] Two Democratic congress members characterized DOGE's presence in NOAA systems as "hackers". NOAA staff noted that the actions of the operatives could directly cause risk to human life by hindering NOAA and National Weather Service operations.[151][150] ABC also reported that operatives were also looking for anything connected to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) on bulletin boards and were inspecting bathroom signs to ensure compliance with Trump's executive orders.[151]

Musk's team seized control of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) on January 20.[152] They moved sofa beds into the fifth-floor director's office of the agency's headquarters. Musk's aides locked OPM workers out of computer systems which contain personally identifying information of millions of federal employees.[152] After the takeover of OPM, federal employees across the country received emails asking them to turn in colleagues working on diversity, equity, inclusion, and access (DEIA) initiatives to OPM via a "DEIAtruth" email address.[153] On February 4, two anonymous federal employees filed suit in federal court alleging the DOGE team had unlawfully installed a private server on the OPM network, seeking a restraining order to have it removed.[154]

On February 12, Grist reported that the Trump Administration started to shrink the Environment Protection Agency (EPA),[155] nearly 170 employees at the EPA's Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights were placed on paid administrative leave.[156]

Treasury Department (USDT)

On January 31, multiple sources reported that David Lebryk, a top Treasury Department career civil servant, was pushed out after he refused to grant DOGE access to a system that disburses over $5 trillion in payments annually, including Social Security, government paychecks and contractor payments. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent granted DOGE access to the system later that day.[157][158][159] The New York Times described it as a possible attempt by Trump to "unilaterally restrict disbursement of money approved for specific purposes by Congress" following his earlier funding freeze.[160][15]

The Financial Times reported on February 2 that Musk responded to an X post by former Trump national security advisor Michael Flynn, who posted a spreadsheet image purportedly showing federal grant payments to Global Refuge, a faith-based charity that provides services to legal migrants. Without citing evidence, Flynn asserted there was a money laundering operation involved, and that there were many other organizations "cashing in on our hard-earned money".[161] Musk replied that DOGE "is rapidly shutting down these illegal payments".[162] He later asserted that "career Treasury officials are breaking the law every hour of every day by approving payments that are fraudulent or do not match the funding laws passed by Congress".[163]

On February 4, a Treasury Department official wrote to federal lawmakers that a DOGE agent, Tom Krause (who is also CEO of Citrix Systems) was restricted to "read-only" access to the Treasury payments system, preventing "payments for obligations such as Social Security and Medicare to be delayed or re-routed", though Wired reported that another member of Musk's team, Marko Elez, had acquired unrestricted access to some Treasury systems, and had been making "extensive changes" to the codebase of the payments system, with limited supervision. Democratic senator Ron Wyden, ranking member of the finance committee to whom the letter was sent, said it "reeks of a cover-up".[164][165][166][167] Senior Treasury officials stated in February 11 federal court filings that the department had "mistakenly" and "briefly" granted Elez "read-write" access enabling him to alter the system;[168] the Trump administration said in its court filings that an internal investigation had showed Elez did not take unauthorized actions despite being able.[169]

Radio France Internationale wrote about DOGE's group entry into the Federal government:

One of them now has direct access to the US Treasury computer system responsible for virtually all government payments. That is, taxpayers' tax returns, civil servants' salaries. That's billions of dollars that this young engineer can now manage, under the sole supervision of Elon Musk.[170]

On February 5, NBC News reported that attorneys for the Justice Department had agreed to temporarily restrict staffers associated with DOGE from accessing information with the Treasury Department. This change came after a lawsuit was filed by a group of union members and retirees against the Treasury Department.[171] This left Elez and Krause in place, but with a restriction not to disclose information to anyone outside the Treasury. Elez resigned on February 6 after The Wall Street Journal reported on deleted social media posts where he explicitly identified himself as a racist and advocated for eugenics and against inter-ethnic marriage.[172]

A coalition of nineteen states, mostly Democratic-led, filed suit in a Manhattan federal court on February 7 seeking to stop DOGE from accessing the payments system.[173] Hours later, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction prohibiting DOGE from accessing data on the payment system and ordered any data downloaded by unauthorized people since January 20 to be destroyed. The judge scheduled a hearing for February 14.[174]

United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

See also: USAID Allegations of wasteful spending

Musk has been sharply critical of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), characterizing it as a "criminal organization", a "viper's nest of radical-left marxists who hate America", and "evil".[175] On February 1, members of DOGE gained access to classified information of USAID without sufficient security clearances.[176] On February 2, Wired reported that DOGE personnel attempted to improperly access classified information and security systems at the USAID, but were thwarted by USAID security officials;[72] those officials were subsequently put on leave.[72][177] The group moved to dismantle USAID by taking the USAID website and X account offline, firing staff, and stopping overseas work.[178] Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared himself acting administrator of the agency, although it has been an independent body for sixty years.[179]

On February 3, Musk said of USAID: "We're shutting it down", with Musk saying Trump "agreed"; an email from special adviser Gavin Kliger to USAID staff instructed staff to keep away from USAID headquarters while hundreds of staff lost access to USAID computer systems.[179][180][181] As an ex-USAID worked describes: "In a matter of hours DOGE shut down our websites, took over email handles, and summarily removed the system access of hundreds of gainfully employed public servants."[182]

On February 5, Musk falsely alleged USAID had given Politico and the Associated Press millions of dollars. The figures given were actually for common subscriptions across the entire government; the actual amount USAID alone had spent on Politico subscriptions was $44K.[183] White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, "The DOGE team is working on canceling those payments now."[184]

Clawback of FEMA funds from New York City

On February 11, Musk incited Republican outrage by posting on X about FEMA funding of migrant shelter hotels in New York City. He claimed DOGE had discovered the funding, incorrectly asserting that the funds were intended for disaster relief but had been illegally redirected to house migrants in "luxury hotels." Musk's false allegation led the Department of Homeland Security to fire four FEMA employees, including the CFO, alleging they were "deep state activists." The next day, homeland security secretary Kristi Noem said she had "clawed back the full payment that FEMA deep state activists unilaterally gave to NYC migrant hotels." The city comptroller confirmed that $80 million had been withdrawn from the city's bank account. The funds had been appropriated by Congress in 2024 under FEMA's "Shelter and Services Program" created by Congress in 2023, and they are separate from disaster relief funds.[185][186][187]

Reception and analysis

An infographic on outlays and revenues in the 2023 US federal budget

Support

In September 2024, Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JPMorgan Chase, the largest American bank, stated that he supported the idea of creating DOGE to improve government competency.[188] In November 2024, Brian Armstrong, the CEO of Coinbase, spoke in support of the idea.[189]

Javier Milei, the president of Argentina, stated that, prior to the official announcement of the creation of DOGE, Musk had called Federico Sturzenegger, Argentina's minister of deregulation and transformation of the state, to discuss imitating his ministry's model in the United States.[190]

On January 10, 2025, 26 Republican state governors wrote a joint letter to leaders of Congress expressing, "overwhelming support for President Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)". The governors also stated that they are committed to "stand ready to help DOGE—and Congress—be successful".[191][192]

In December 2024, Senator Bernie Sanders supported plans by DOGE to cut defense spending,[193][194] and Democratic congressman Ro Khanna indicated that he would be open to working with DOGE to reduce defense spending.[193] By February 6, Punchbowl News reported that Khanna and other "DOGE-curious" Democrats had largely soured on and distanced themselves from the commission after seeing how it was being conducted. Khanna stated that he was "appalled by the unconstitutional efforts to block funding appropriated and authorized by Congress" and that he relayed those concerns to Musk.[59]

When questioned about Musk's abilities and powers within the government, Trump indicated in February 2024 that Musk would only act when directed with approval from the White House.[63]

Concerns about DOGE

In November 2024, Politico reported on growing concern from the tech world and several policy experts that the project was over-promising or could potentially tear down "much of the essential infrastructure that ushers along American innovation". Former US deputy chief technology officer Jennifer Pahlka stated that while civil service reform was needed, mass firings was the wrong answer.[195] Senior fellow Brian Riedl at the Manhattan Institute said that DOGE's plan to fire 25% of the federal workforce would reduce only 1% of federal funding and require the hiring of contractors to fulfill the difference. The Washington Post cited critics who stated balancing the budget would require higher taxes or cuts to Medicare or Social Security, and DOGE's proposal to slash federal programs that Congress funds but whose authority had lapsed would cut "veterans' health care, initiatives at the State and Justice departments and NASA, and multiple major antipoverty programs". The Post also cited budget experts who said Musk and Ramaswamy's plan "demonstrates the pair's misunderstanding of how the government works".[196]

Douglas Holtz-Eakin of the American Action Forum compared DOGE to the former Grace Commission which had zero of its 150 proposals enacted. According to chief economist Mark Zandi of Moody's, the 30% of the federal budget that is non-discretionary is at the lowest level in modern history as a percentage of GDP, and that even finding $200 billion of savings was highly unlikely. Senior director for federal budget policy Bobby Kogan at the Center for American Progress said that the "threat level for DOGE's recommendations making it through Congress is relatively low",[197] and that $2 trillion in cuts would likely result in 33% cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and every program relating to veterans compensation and healthcare. Maya MacGuineas of the public policy organization Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget has said that $2 trillion in savings is "absolutely doable" over a period of 10 years, but it would be difficult to do in a single year "without compromising some of the fundamental objectives of the government that are widely agreed upon". Desmond Lachman of the American Enterprise Institute stated that "realistically, there isn't much political willingness to do the tough stuff that [needs] to be done to get the budget under control."[198]

DOGE has been seen as potentially redundant to the Government Accountability Office.[199]

Democratic representative Zoe Lofgren (CA-18) has criticized DOGE, calling it "unconstitutional and illegal" in relation to its proposals regarding the impoundment of appropriated funds by Congress.[200] Representative Greg Landsman described the commission as "a way for the wealthiest person alive, who gets billions in federal money, to hack the federal government data and payment system at the expense of the American people".[59]

Axios calls the events "Musk's takeover of Washington" and compares them to the events at Twitter, observing concerns about "brain drain" in both cases if highly knowledgeable workers leave.[201] The events were also called a "takeover" by The Economic Times.[19] The Associated Press reported that Musk had "created an alternative power structure" in the government.[202]

The "freeze of government function" was described as a coup d'état by Seth Masket, a professor of political science at the University of Denver, because "Musk is a private citizen taking control of established government offices." He notes that Musk has no role in government and questions the validity of the Department of Government Efficiency, which is not a federal executive department, assuming power over established government agencies.[203] Author Jeet Heer argued in The Nation that the actions of DOGE were a "time-honored revolutionary tactic of developing dual power in order to seize control" and constituted a coup.[204] Paul Krugman, an economist and columnist, stated on February 3 that the actions of DOGE might have as of that date constituted "what amounts to a 21st-century coup", and that he would update his opinion later.[205] The Guardian stated that it agreed with Krugman.[206]

Don Moynihan, a professor of public policy at the University of Michigan, called Musk and DOGE's actions "concerning" and "unprecedented". Moynihan expressed concern that Musk and his group, "not really public officials", had been able to access sensitive government data, and that Congress had very little ability to monitor and intervene.[72]

During a news conference at the Capitol on February 3, 2025, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), the vice chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, stated that Musk and his team were breaking the law. Murray stated that Musk was an "unelected, unaccountable billionaire with expansive conflicts of interest, deep ties to China" and accused him of hijacking the nation's financial systems and its ability to pay.[63] Questions have been raised whether Musk's and Ramaswamy's companies being contractors to the federal government causes a conflict of interest with their proposed work in DOGE.[207][208][209][210] White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in February 2025 that Musk would determine if his DOGE work presented a conflict of interest.[211] Journalist Malika Khurana lists 11 agencies impacted by DOGE with federal investigations or regulatory battles with Elon Musk's businesses.[212]

During a February 11 press conference featuring Musk and Trump in the Oval Office, Musk responded to a question about his potential conflict of interest by claiming that "all his team's efforts were being made public on DOGE's social media accounts and website."[213] CNN host Anderson Cooper noted that Musk has shown opposition to transparency by claiming that reporters investigating Musk's DOGE workers were committing crimes; that Musk himself has not made his conflict-of-interest forms public, and the White House says he won't have to; and that the statements issued on the DOGE X social media account are no more than "press releases" (and there is no content beyond a title and slogan on the DOGE website).[214] Later that same day, Trump fired USAID Inspector General Paul K. Martin, one day after Martin had issued a report finding that $489 million in food was at risk of spoilage because of the Trump administration's efforts to shutter that agency.[215]

The "We Choose to Fight: Nobody Elected Elon" protest, organized by MoveOn, was held at the Treasury on February 4, 2025.

Several legal experts have described much of DOGE's actions as illegal, breaking multiple privacy, security, and congressional laws and regulations. It has been described as taking a move fast and break things approach. Legal analysts have alleged breaches of law regarding aspects of the Privacy Act, Internal Revenue Code, and Federal Information Security Modernization Act. Forcing of workers out of their offices, claims of "deleting" agencies and seizure of funds authorized by Congress have been described as breaking Article 1 of the United States Constitution and constituting a potential "constitutional crisis".[7][8][9][216]

Republican members of the United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform blocked an effort by committee Democrats to subpoena Musk on February 5, 2025.[217]

Several US Congress members spoke against Musk's role in the government during the "We Choose to Fight: Nobody Elected Elon" protests.

On February 7, the ACLU filed Freedom of Information Act requests with over 40 federal agencies "for any records that reveal whether DOGE or its representatives have sought or obtained access to databases containing personally identifiable information, financial records, healthcare data, or other sensitive government-held records of Americans".[218]

State attorneys general Treasury payments cases

On January 28, 2025, twenty-two state attorneys general filed suit[b] against Trump and the Treasury Department in the District of Rhode Island for a temporary retraining order (TRO) barring Trump from pausing any further federal aid.[219] On January 31, Judge John J. McConnell Jr., appointed by President Barack Obama, granted the TRO, effectively blocking Trump's federal aid freeze.[220][221] On February 10, finding that the Trump administration had failed to fully comply with the order, Judge McConnell directed the Trump administration to immediately end any federal funding pause and restore previously frozen funds until a final ruling was made on a permanent injunction to be heard at a later time.[222][223]

On February 7, nineteen state attorneys general, largely the same from the Rhode Island federal case, filed suit[c] in the Southern District of New York over DOGE's actions within the Bureau of the Fiscal Service (BFS).[224] In the early morning on February 8, Judge Paul A. Engelmayer, appointed by Obama, issued a preliminary injunction barring DOGE members from accessing Treasury data and ordering all existing unauthorized copies to be deleted immediately.[225] The White House called the ruling "absurd and judicial overreach" and referred to Engelmayer as an "activist"; Musk posted similar sentiments on X and claimed Engelmayer was protecting scammers.[226] Conservative activist Charlie Kirk encouraged the Trump administration to defy the order should it become permanent.[226]

That weekend, JD Vance posted on X that "judges aren't allowed to control the executive's legitimate power". Arkansas senator Tom Cotton called the judge an "outlaw".[227]

A hearing has been set for February 14 before Biden-appointed judge Jeannette Vargas, who will preside over the case.[228][229][230] On February 11, Judge Vargas adjusted Judge Engelmayer's ruling by allowing Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and other senior department leaders whose roles require Senate confirmation to access Treasury data.[231]

Privacy lawsuits

See also: Elon Musk and unions

The University of California Student Association filed a lawsuit[d] against acting secretary of education Denise Carter and the Department of Education (ED) on February 7 in the District of Columbia, claiming an "enormous and unprecedented" "intrusion into individuals' privacy".[232] The case has been assigned to Obama-appointed judge Randolph D. Moss.[citation needed]

Three federal employee unions — the Alliance for Retired Americans, the AFGE, and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) — filed a lawsuit against the Treasury Department,[e] alleging that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent unlawfully granted DOGE access to sensitive data. The White House defended Musk's role, stating he had followed all federal laws.[234][235][236] On February 6, judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, appointed by Clinton, agreed to a proposal filed by the Justice Department to temporarily limit DOGE to "read-only" access of Treasury data until a hearing for a preliminary injunction could be held on February 24. Department of Justice lawyers struggled to explain how DOGE plans to use sensitive taxpayer data.[237]

Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) violations

On January 20, the day of Trump's inauguration, The Washington Post learned of a pending lawsuit to be launched against DOGE minutes after Trump was to be sworn in, questioning whether DOGE is a presidential advisory commission obeying federal transparency rules about certain practices, such as disclosure and hiring.[40][238] That same day, three more lawsuits were filed against Trump, DOGE, and the Office of Management and Budget, alleging violation of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), which requires that "the advisory committee have a fair balance in viewpoints represented, that they do not meet in secret, and that their records and work product be made available for public inspection".[239] All four lawsuits were filed in the District of Columbia.

The first suit[f] was filed by Public Citizen, State Democracy Defenders Fund, and the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) against Trump and the OMB. The Center for Biological Diversity next filed suit against the OMB.[g] National Security Counselors sued DOGE, OMB, OPM, and multiple Trump administration officials,[h] while a coalition of NGOs filed suit against OMB and DOGE.[i][240]

Public Citizen, Lentini, and American Public Health Association were all assigned to Biden-appointed judge Jia M. Cobb; the government has filed a motion to consolidate the cases.[241] Center for Biological Diversity has been assigned to Obama-appointed judge Beryl A. Howell.

USAID firings and shutdown

A lawsuit[j] seeking to halt the shutdown of USAID was filed on February 6 in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia by the American Foreign Service Association and the AFGE.[243] The judge, Trump-appointed Carl J. Nichols, issued a temporary restraining order on February 7 against imminent plans for 2,200 employees to be placed on administrative leave and for overseas USAID workers to return to the US.[244] A hearing is set for February 12.[244]

Protests

See also: 50501

On February 3, protesters gathered outside the Office of Personnel Management and indicated that they would continue to protest for the rest of the week in opposition to DOGE and Musk. The protestors claimed that Musk had illegally taken control of the government's infrastructure,[245] and raised concerns that Musk was an unelected foreign national who was potentially stealing sensitive information stored in federal servers.[246]

A rally was organized in front of the Treasury department the next day on February 4 via word of mouth and social media, with initially 50 participants that grew into hundreds. Participants included federal workers, retirees and others who were alarmed and angry over Musk and DOGE's actions and its trajectory, chanting "Elon Musk has to go" and signs stating "No Trump, No Musk, No Fascist USA" and "Musk owns Trump". Democratic politicians such as Senator Chuck Schumer, Senator Chris Van Hollen, and Representative Maxine Waters spoke out at the protest.[247][248]

See also

Other similar commissions

Notes

  1. ^ Pronounced //doʊdʒ//, DOHJ[citation needed]
  1. ^ /kəˈmɛk/
  2. ^ New York et al. v. Trump et al., No. 1:25-cv-00039 (D.R.I. January 28, 2025)
  3. ^ New York et al. v. Trump et al., No. 25-CV-1144 (S.D.N.Y. February 7, 2025)
  4. ^ Univ. of California Student Ass'n v. Carter, No. 1:25-cv-00354 (D.D.C. February 7, 2025)
  5. ^ Alliance for Retired Americans v. Bessent, No. 1:25-cv-00313 (D.D.C. February 3, 2025)[233]
  6. ^ Public Citizen v. Trump, No. 25-cv-164 (D.D.C. January 20, 2025)
  7. ^ Center for Biological Diversity v. Office of Management and Budget, No. 25-165 (D.D.C. January 20, 2025)
  8. ^ Lentini v. Dept. of Government Efficiency, No. 1:25-cv-00166 (D.D.C. January 20, 2025)
  9. ^ Amer. Public Health Ass'n v. Office of Management and Budget, No. 25-cv-167 (D.D.C. January 20, 2025)
  10. ^ American Foreign Service Ass'n v. Trump, No. 1:25-cv-00352 (D.D.C. February 6, 2025)[242]

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