By Tim Reid

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump has regularly praised tech billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for its role in cutting the size of the federal workforce and halting thousands of government programs and contracts.

In just three months, entire government agencies have been dismantled, and hundreds of thousands of workers from the 2.3 million-strong federal workforce have been fired or have agreed to take buyouts.

Musk, CEO of Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) and SpaceX, stated on April 22 that he will soon be stepping back from DOGE, with his 130-day mandate as a special government employee set to expire at the end of May. His imminent departure raises questions about the future of DOGE, although the White House insists its work will continue.

Critics argue that DOGE operates with extraordinary power granted by Trump, without oversight and in secrecy, although Musk maintains it is transparent.

WHAT IS DOGE?

DOGE was created by an executive order Trump signed on January 20 to “modernize federal technology and software to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity.”

Despite its name, DOGE is not a government department created by an act of Congress; it is a temporary organization that took over an existing unit within the White House, the U.S. Digital Service.

Its mandate, due to expire on July 4, 2026, now exceeds the confines of the initial executive order as its staffers search for spending and staff cuts across government departments.

Musk, the world’s richest person, does not draw a government salary, according to the White House.

Facing questions from judges about DOGE’s leadership, the White House named Amy Gleason, a former healthcare executive, as acting administrator. In a March 19 court filing, Gleason stated Musk does not work at DOGE: “I do not report to him, and he does not report to me. To my knowledge, he is a senior adviser to the White House.”

However, in a March 4 speech to Congress, Trump claimed DOGE “is headed by Elon Musk.” Musk has appeared several times before Trump’s cabinet and at press briefings in the Oval Office to explain DOGE’s work.

The DOGE team is small, with about 79 appointed employees and 10 employees seconded from other agencies, according to Gleason’s court filing. Many staffers are young software engineers from Musk’s companies, who possess little to no experience in the U.S. government.

Musk’s stated goal is to find $1 trillion in savings from a federal budget that is set to reach approximately $7 trillion this year.

WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF DOGE?

Musk serves as the ideological driving force behind the government overhaul. He has appointed key lieutenants at key government agencies and dispatched former engineers from Tesla and SpaceX to oversee significant staff cuts.

It is unclear how many staff will remain once Musk departs. He has provided crucial political support for a cost-cutting drive that has made DOGE unpopular among career staffers and triggered nationwide protests.

For the time being, DOGE staffers remain active at federal agencies, often isolated from career employees and operating in secrecy as they access sensitive computer systems.

Cabinet secretaries are expected to assume more control over budgets and staffing and limit DOGE staffers’ influence once Musk is gone, according to two government sources.

HAS DOGE SAVED MONEY?

According to its website, DOGE claims it has saved U.S. taxpayers $160 billion as of April 23 through several actions including workforce reductions, asset sales, and contract cancellations.

However, these savings totals are unverifiable, with reports of errors and corrections in their calculations. The “receipts” section of its website has repeatedly deleted some of its significant savings claims, including a reported $8 billion contract that was later clarified to be worth only $8 million. Musk has stated that DOGE will correct mistakes found.

WHAT HAS DOGE DONE?

Musk’s team has driven cuts in various federal bureaucracies, leading to the hollowing out of some agencies and creating panic among government workers.

A Reuters tally shows that over 260,000 federal workers have been fired, taken buyouts, or retired early.

DOGE has accessed personal data systems of past and present federal workers and millions of Americans by entering over 20 government agencies. In February, DOGE offered buyouts to government workers, and about 75,000 accepted. A second buyout was sent in April, with undisclosed acceptance numbers. Further large-scale layoffs are ongoing at government agencies.

WHICH AGENCIES HAVE BEEN TARGETED?

The U.S. Agency for International Development, which assists the world’s needy, has been shuttered, with thousands of its employees sent home. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, responsible for protecting Americans from unscrupulous lenders, has also been closed, with many of its employees terminated.

The CFPB has previously investigated loan policies at Tesla, raising potential conflict of interest concerns. DOGE’s presence has also extended into NASA, where Musk’s companies hold billions of dollars in contracts.

Additional targeted agencies include the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Social Security Administration, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Department of Veterans Affairs.