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DOGE is one of the most ambitious efforts to reform the federal government in decades.
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Elon Musk is working closely with President Trump to slash spending across the government.
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The Department of Government Efficiency faces multiple lawsuits seeking to block its work.
The Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, was created by an executive order by President Donald Trump and is one of the most ambitious efforts to slash spending at the federal level in decades.
Headed by Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, DOGE’s mission is to make government leaner and more effective. As a temporary organization, DOGE is set to complete its work on July 4, 2026.
In January 2025, Musk said he’d cut at least $1 trillion from the federal budget, telling the political strategist Mark Penn that up to $2 trillion in spending cuts was the “best-case outcome” for DOGE.
Almost immediately, DOGE attracted lawsuits from an array of Democrats and union groups concerned over Musk’s team gaining access to sensitive information within several federal agencies.
Here’s a look at how DOGE is aiming to upend US government in Washington.
Where did the idea of DOGE come from?
For decades, Republicans have railed against what they’ve decried as excessive government spending that they feel has only been encouraged by layers of bureaucracy in the nation’s capital.
In his three presidential runs, Trump made tackling the federal deficit and cutting the size of government important themes of his campaign. However, the issue took on added resonance in 2024 as many Americans remained weary of inflation and federal spending.
In July 2024, Musk suggested on X that Trump could establish a presidential commission on “government efficiency” and select him to lead it. Trump liked the idea and confirmed in August 2024 that he was considering Musk for an advisory role.
Musk then took to X, where he said “I am willing to serve,” with an image of him standing in front of a “Department of Government Efficiency” lectern.
In the final weeks of the campaign, Musk was a fixture on the trail, particularly in swing-state Pennsylvania, where he stumped hard for Trump.
After Trump defeated then-Vice President Kamala Harris in November 2024, he announced that DOGE would be co-led by Musk and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy. Musk initially said DOGE jobs would have “zero” compensation, however, in January 2025 it was announced that DOGE would be hiring some salaried employees.
The Department of Government Efficiency has the acronym of one of Musk’s favorite memes, which features the image of a Shiba Inu dog and also inspired the cryptocurrency Dogecoin.
What has DOGE accomplished so far?
As Trump was enjoying his inaugural festivities, reports emerged that Ramaswamy would be leaving DOGE to launch a gubernatorial bid in Ohio, making Musk the face of the conservative president’s task force.
From the start, DOGE sought to analyze federal contracts and spending at agencies across the government, and Musk called out expenditures on issues like foreign aid and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
However, the quick pace of DOGE’s work to remold government in the vision of Trump and Musk left many in Washington — and across the country and world — stunned.
During a joint appearance in the Oval Office in February 2025, Trump and Musk announced that DOGE had uncovered “billions and billions of dollars in waste, fraud and abuse” in its first few weeks. Trump said a final number could potentially reach “close to a trillion dollars,” but neither he nor Musk gave many specifics regarding the figures. Trump also signed an executive order that directs agency heads to work with DOGE to identify “large-scale reductions in force.”
DOGE also sought to prune the government workforce, offering buyouts to federal employees, who were given a deadline to accept an offer to be paid through September 2025.
One of the biggest targets for both Trump and Musk so far has been the US Agency for International Development, or USAID, which distributes foreign aid. Trump wants to shut down the independent government agency, which provides funding on everything from HIV/AIDS treatment to investments in water and sanitation access.
The push is part of Musk’s desire to “delete” agencies that he feels are wasteful or have outlived their usefulness.
Another target is the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which Republicans have criticized since its creation under President Barack Obama in 2011. DOGE also cut hundreds of millions of dollars from the Department of Education’s research office, with the task force announcing that they’d “terminated” contracts.
How will Congress work with DOGE?
Republicans, who retained control of the House and retook the Senate in the 2024 elections, are overwhelmingly supportive of both Trump and DOGE.
The GOP-led House Oversight Committee in November 2024 announced the formation of the Delivering on Government Efficiency (DOGE) subcommittee, which is chaired by Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, with Democratic Rep. Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico serving as the ranking member.
Both parties have expressed a desire to eliminate wasteful spending and boost transparency. However, Stansbury said Democrats would seek accountability for DOGE.
“We will not sit silently by and watch the Administration recklessly and lawlessly dismantle our federal agencies, fire and harass federal employees, withhold federal funds, and hack our private and sensitive data,” she said in a statement.
Then there’s the GOP-led House DOGE caucus, which is co-chaired by Reps. Aaron Bean of Florida, Blake Moore of Utah, and Pete Sessions of Texas. There are some Democrats who are currently a part of the caucus, namely Reps. Jared Moskowitz of Florida and Steven Horsford of Nevada. Democratic Rep. Val Hoyle of Oregon left the caucus in February 2025 after accusing Musk of trying to “line his own pockets and rip off Americans.”
The Senate DOGE caucus is led by Republican Joni Ernst of Iowa.
Republicans are overwhelmingly in alignment with Trump’s agenda, and with the threat of potential Musk-funded primary challengers in 2026, GOP lawmakers will likely be eager to support the DOGE task force’s work.
Still, Congress controls federal spending. And DOGE’s efforts to dramatically reshape additional agencies may potentially encounter bipartisan resistance.
What criticism has DOGE faced?
Even during its conception, questions arose regarding whether DOGE could truly make a dent in federal spending.
With a bulk of federal spending going toward Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and the defense budget, it is unclear how deeply DOGE will be able to make its desired cuts. (Trump has repeatedly pledged not to touch Medicare and Social Security.)
DOGE was also granted access to a Treasury Department payment system that contains sensitive information about millions of Americans, ramping up concerns about privacy.
There has also been some scrutiny regarding staffing hires. DOGE has drawn criticism for the young ages of its staff members — some are in their early 20s or even as young as 19.
Business Insider obtained a DOGE staff list with the records of roughly 30 individuals who are now employed by the White House’s DOGE office, with backgrounds in industries like tech, finance, and law. Some have worked at Musk’s companies like SpaceX or The Boring Company, and others have worked as software engineers, venture capitalists, or even law clerks for Supreme Court justices.
Marko Elez — a 25-year-old who previously worked at SpaceX and X and was a member of Musk’s team — in February 2025 resigned from the Treasury Department after The Wall Street Journal brought to light racist social media posts. Vice President JD Vance called for Elez to be rehired, and Musk said he’d rehire Elez after a poll on X found 78% of participants in favor of the move.
Lawsuits against DOGE
An array of lawsuits have been filed by critics challenging DOGE’s actions.
In February 2025, 19 Democratic state attorneys general filed a lawsuit against Trump and the Treasury Department alleging a violation of federal law in granting DOGE staffers access to the personal financial data of Americans.
Another lawsuit was filed against the Trump administration by several nongovernmental organizations that obtain US foreign aid over DOGE’s attempts to shutter USAID. The plaintiffs argue that the administration “violated the separation of powers.”
And the National Treasury Employees Union filed two lawsuits over the stoppage of the CFPB’s work and the ability of Musk and DOGE aides to see the personal information of the agency’s staffers.
The White House has denounced the lawsuits, with deputy press secretary Harrison Fields likening the plaintiffs to “children throwing pasta at the wall to see if it will stick.”
“Grandstanding government efficiency speaks volumes about those who’d rather delay much-needed change with legal shenanigans than work with the Trump Administration of ridding the government of waste, fraud, and abuse,” Fields said.
Business Insider has reached out to a DOGE spokesperson for comment.
Read the original article on Business Insider
