First on-the-record comments from Trump administration on DOGE that Elon Musk even 'publicised' on his T-Shirts

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a signature initiative launched with fanfare at the start of President Donald Trump’s second term no longer exists. According to an exclusive report by news agency Reuters, the US President Donald Trump's DOGE has disbanded with eight months left to its mandate, ending an initiative launched with fanfare as a symbol of Trump's pledge to slash the government's size but which critics say delivered few measurable savings. "That doesn't exist," Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor told Reuters earlier this month when asked about DOGE's status. In the first on-the-record comments from the administration regarding the unit's dissolution, Kupor confirmed that DOGE is no longer a "centralized entity."

The closure is said to mark the end of a high-profile experiment originally led by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, which critics argue delivered few verifiable savings despite its aggressive public messaging. Elon Musk even regularly wore a black T-shirt with the words "DOGE" written across its middle during his White House visits. "This is the chainsaw for bureaucracy," Musk said, holding the tool above his head at the Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, in February.

DOGE's 'What did you do last week?' email

In February, DOGE's email to Federal agencies saying that employees should comply with Elon Musk's directive to list five accomplishments in the past week was not met nicely. Federal employees across the US government had received an email asking them to account for what they did in the past week. Elon Musk openly said that they will lose their jobs if they don't respond. "Consistent with President @realDonaldTrump's instructions, all federal employees will shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week," Musk wrote on Twitter. The Twitter post ends: "Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation."

After protests across departments, gradually, almost all Federal employees were told not to respond to these email.

DOGE made name for massive firings

DOGE initially made headlines with dramatic moves to shrink federal agencies, cut budgets, and redirect workflows toward Trump’s priorities. However, according to Kupor and documents reviewed by Reuters, the OPM—the federal government’s standard human resources office—has since absorbed many of DOGE's functions. The quiet dismantling of the department stands in sharp contrast to the media blitz that accompanied its creation. For months, the President, his cabinet, and advisers promoted the initiative heavily on social media. Elon Musk, who initially headed the department, frequently touted its operations on his X platform. In a defining image of the department's early days, Musk brandished a chainsaw above his head at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in February, calling the department "the chainsaw for bureaucracy."

However, following a public fight with President Trump in May, Musk has since left Washington. While administration officials have not formally announced DOGE's end, the unit has effectively faded away despite an executive order signed earlier in the term decreeing it would operate through July 2026.

Personnel Moves and Unverified Savings As DOGE dissolves, key personnel are migrating to new initiatives. At least two prominent DOGE figures have joined the National Design Studio, a new body created by executive order in August with a mandate to "beautify" government websites.

* Joe Gebbia: The Airbnb co-founder, formerly part of Musk’s team, now heads the design studio.

* Edward Coristine: A DOGE employee known for recruiting staff via social media, is also involved in the new effort.

During its operation, DOGE officials claimed to have slashed tens of billions of dollars in government expenditures. However, because the unit did not provide detailed public accounting of its work, outside financial experts have deemed it impossible to verify these figures. In response to inquiries, the White House did not explicitly address the disbanding of the department.

"President Trump was given a clear mandate to reduce waste, fraud and abuse across the federal government, and he continues to actively deliver on that commitment," White House spokeswoman Liz Huston said in an email.