DOGE “doesn’t exist” anymore. But expert says it’s still not dead.

In a surprising turn of events, the Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, has been officially declared nonexistent. This declaration came from Scott Kupor, the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), who confirmed to Reuters that the agency, initially launched by Elon Musk to streamline government operations, was dissolved more than eight months ahead of schedule. The announcement follows a peculiar trend where former President Donald Trump referred to DOGE solely in the past tense, raising eyebrows about its current status. Despite this, the social media account associated with DOGE continued to post updates right up until just two days before the official confirmation, indicating a disconnect between its operations and reality. Kupor elaborated that a centralized agency like DOGE was deemed unnecessary since OPM has absorbed many of its responsibilities after Musk's departure from the agency in May. At that point, DOGE employees had been strategically placed within various government agencies to facilitate more effective management and proposed budget cuts. Musk had once touted ambitious goals for DOGE, claiming it would save the government a staggering trillion dollars. On social media, he often praised the initiative, stating in February that DOGE was the American people's best chance to overcome bureaucratic obstacles and restore democracy. However, the agency's actual savings fell significantly short of expectations, with reports indicating it saved only $214 billion—an estimate critics argue may be inflated by nearly 40 percent. As Musk exited, the agency faced increasing scrutiny, particularly with lawsuits emerging over alleged wrongful firings. By June, Congress was sharply divided on the future of DOGE, debating whether to formalize its controversial practices of rapid employee terminations and rehirings or to deem the initiative a failure, potentially costing taxpayers more in the long run due to the loss of skilled personnel and services.