DOGE Formally Shuts Down, More Than a Year After Elon Musk's Departure

The Department of Government Efficiency, the cost-cutting initiative Elon Musk spearheaded at the start of Donald Trump's second term, formally shut down July 4, closing the book on a controversial 18-month effort that fell far short of its original savings targets.

DOGE announced its closure in a social media post, writing that its "formal mission has come to an end" but adding that "the mission to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse will continue. Good stewardship of taxpayer dollars and accountable government are not temporary initiatives." The post also quoted Theodore Roosevelt, stating that "the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing."

A Shutdown Built Into Its Founding

DOGE's expiration was written into its origin. President Trump created the initiative through an executive order on his first day back in office, Jan. 20, 2025, setting a hard expiration date tied to July 4, 2026, the country's 250th anniversary. In that order, Trump described a smaller, more efficient federal government as the "perfect gift" for the nation's semiquincentennial.

Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy were initially tapped to lead the effort. Ramaswamy departed almost immediately and is now running for governor of Ohio. Musk formally left the department in May 2025, roughly 130 days into his role as a special government employee, following repeated clashes with the Trump administration. Amy Gleason served as DOGE's acting administrator from February 2025 until the department's closure.

Falling Short of Its Promises

DOGE was originally pitched as a vehicle for finding $2 trillion in taxpayer savings. The final tally fell dramatically short of that target. By its last public accounting, DOGE claimed to have saved roughly $215 billion, or about $1,335 per taxpayer, through a combination of asset sales, contract cancellations, workforce reductions and other cuts.

A USA Today review published in February found that DOGE terminated contracts across 64 different federal agencies, but roughly 30% of those contracts had already been paid out by the time they were canceled, meaning the terminations provided little to no actual savings. Jillian Blanchard, a vice president at the nonprofit Lawyers 4 Good Government, told USA Today that many of the contract terminations were legally questionable. "Someone signed on the dotted line and committed to the obligation and the agency or department just unlawfully terminated it," she said.

Lasting Effects on the Federal Workforce

DOGE played a central role in the mass federal layoffs that took place throughout 2025, cuts that contributed to a rise in the national unemployment rate. Several agencies have since had to rehire workers in positions that were eliminated, citing the loss of institutional expertise. The initiative also targeted the roughly 72 inspector general positions across federal agencies responsible for investigating fraud, waste and abuse; many of those officials were fired, and courts allowed the terminations to stand, though other posts remain filled.

Some former DOGE staffers have remained within the federal government in other roles. Gavin Kilger now serves as chief data officer at the Pentagon, and Sam Corcos holds the same title at the Treasury Department. Joe Gebbia, who was involved with DOGE's early work, now oversees the National Design Studio, an initiative focused on improving federal agency websites.

A Legacy Still Being Debated

DOGE's early actions, including efforts to access individual taxpayer data from the IRS, drew privacy concerns from the outset. Critics have also pointed to downstream effects of the agency's cuts, including reduced funding for foreign aid programs and the closure of a program that monitored New World screwworm outbreaks, a cut that came shortly before Texas recorded its first screwworm outbreak in decades.

While DOGE's official charter has now formally expired, its influence on federal staffing and spending is expected to continue shaping agency operations well beyond its closure.

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