By Bryce Yazdiya 
Photo Credit: AP Photo/Alex Brandon
Written By: Bryce Yazdiya
Following President Donald Trump’s reelection this past fall, he announced his plan to create a new department within the executive branch known as the Department of Government Efficiency, or as it’s more commonly known, DOGE. Established via executive order on January 20th, the department became headed by Elon Musk with the sole purpose of cutting federal spending deemed as “waste, fraud, and abuse.” Based on their actions so far, “waste, fraud, and abuse” could refer to various costs such as government aid and programs, federal personnel, and entire executive departments. DOGE was created with the intention to be a temporary organization within the White House that will spend 18 months carrying out its mission with its expiration date set to be July 4, 2026.
Since the U.S. has accumulated almost $37 trillion dollars in debt, this endeavor by the Trump Administration has been seen by many as a necessary cause. However, DOGE and its head have continued to face scrutiny over the actions they have taken thus far. Elon Musk himself has received countless death threats since the department’s inception. According to the most recent reporting on DOGE’s action, the department has laid off 280,253 federal workers and contractors from 27 different agencies ranging from the Food and Drug Administration to the Department of Veterans Affairs. The departments with the greatest funding cuts include the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Education, and the General Services Administration. As of April 2025, DOGE claims to have saved $150 billion, equating to roughly $930 saved per taxpayer.
Some of these cuts include $1.9 million for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) training in the Air Force, $6 million to the University of Montana to “strengthen American democracy by bridging divides,” and $3.5 million for the Defense Human Resources Activity to support DEI groups. DOGE also cut more specific costs such as $229,296 for marketing 100% organic shea butter in Burkina Faso, $84,059 for a business incubator for spa & wellness entrepreneurs in Nigeria, and $239,738 for marketing pineapple juice in Benin.
The department has identified hundreds of items it views as “waste, fraud, and abuse,” and all of their findings can be found at the official DOGE website or on DOGE’s X account. The DOGE team documents every action they have taken regarding federal spending cuts and often provides visual proof of their findings. It is worth noting though that while the DOGE team is very transparent on what they are cutting as they update their platforms by the minute, the department doesn’t delve into the specific reasons why these items are being cut, only that they are considered “wasteful.” For example, DOGE informed the public that $1.9 million for DEI training in the Air Force was cut but did not elaborate on the specific reasons as to why they deemed the funding to be wasteful or specifically how the funding was being used.
Concern has been raised over DOGE potentially making mistakes or cutting funds undeservedly. Robert F. Kennedy Jr, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), recently stated that this is to be expected. He said “we talked about this from the beginning” and “we’re going to do 80% cuts, but 20% of those are going to have to be reinstated, because we’ll make mistakes.” These comments by RFK Jr. came after he announced that 20% of DOGE’s job cuts for DHHS were mistakes.
As a temporary executive department, DOGE’s action will be widespread but short lived. Its overall impact on the other hand will likely be long lasting. As the department continues to make funding cuts, the public will learn more about its priorities and its intended end result for the federal government. Speculation that Elon Musk will step down from his position at DOGE in May also leaves room for change on how the department will function in the future. Regardless, it will continue to be a defining feature within the second Trump Administration.