【By Liu Bai, Observer】Do you remember the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)?

This institution, which made a big splash right from the start, ran rampant at the beginning of the Trump administration, drastically cutting budgets and causing chaos within the federal government. However, as Musk left, its popularity gradually faded.

On November 23, a report by Reuters once again brought external attention to DOGE. But this time, it had nothing to do with cutting money.

The report said that earlier this month, when OPM Director Scott Kopper was asked about the current status of DOGE, he bluntly stated: "This department doesn't exist (That doesn't exist)."

Reuters commented on this — DOGE was disbanded ahead of its contract ending in eight months, marking the first time the Trump administration publicly mentioned the end of DOGE.

However, Kopper soon posted on social media to "deny" the rumor, accusing Reuters of taking his comments out of context to create an eye-catching headline.

In the report, Kopper said that DOGE is no longer a "centralized entity." He revealed that as the core department for human resources management in the federal government, OPM has taken over several key functions of the agency.

Kopper revealed that one of DOGE's landmark policies, the nationwide hiring freeze, has also been lifted. On the day of Trump's inauguration, he issued an order banning new hires at federal agencies, except for critical positions related to immigration enforcement and public safety. Later, Trump further stipulated that any exceptions to hiring must be approved by DOGE.

Kopper also said that there are no longer any personnel reduction targets.

Afterward, the news about DOGE's "early disbandment" was picked up by multiple media outlets.

This caused dissatisfaction among Kopper.

He wrote on X: "The editing technique of Reuters is 'clever' — they split my complete comments into two or three paragraphs just to create an eye-catching title."

"The truth is: The DOGE under the USDS may not have a centralized leadership, but its core principles remain alive and effective: relaxing regulations, fighting fraud, waste, and abuse, reshaping the federal workforce system, and prioritizing efficiency. DOGE has implemented these changes, and subsequent government agencies will work with OPM and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to formalize them! That's the real story."

Regardless, after a period of noise, DOGE is indeed less important for the Trump administration.

The agency was established this January, and in the early months of Trump's second term, it carried out bold actions across various areas in Washington, aiming to quickly streamline federal agencies, cut budgets, and shift the focus of agency work to the core tasks of the Trump administration.

However, now at least two core members of DOGE have joined the "National Design Studio." This studio is a new agency established by Trump through an executive order in August, led by Joe Gebbia, co-founder of Airbnb. In the executive order, Trump required it to optimize the design of government website interfaces.

Gebbia was previously a member of Musk's DOGE team. Additionally, a DOGE employee named Edward Cristian had previously called on fans to apply for the new studio on X.

Analysts believe that the decline of DOGE contrasts sharply with the previous efforts of the Trump administration to promote it.

For several months, Trump himself, his advisory team, and cabinet ministers all promoted the department on social media.

As the initial head of the department, Musk frequently used X to highlight the achievements of the department. He even appeared at an event holding a chainsaw, demonstrating his determination to reduce government jobs.

In February, at the Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, Musk held up a chainsaw and declared: "This is the tool to break bureaucracy."

In February, Musk held a chainsaw engraved with "Long Live Freedom," vowing to cut costs. Visual China

Although DOGE claimed to have saved hundreds of billions of dollars, external financial experts have never been able to verify this data because the department has never publicly released detailed financial records.

White House spokesperson Liz Houston said in an email to Reuters: "President Trump has a clear mission to reduce waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government, and he has been actively fulfilling this commitment."

Even though Musk and Trump openly clashed in May, government officials never publicly acknowledged that DOGE would no longer exist.

After that, Musk left Washington.

Although Trump signed an executive order during his term, clearly stating that the department would continue until July 2026, since this summer, he and his team have frequently hinted in public that the department would end.

When Trump spoke to journalists about the department, he often used past tense. Court documents show that Amy Gleson, who served as acting head of the department and came from the healthcare technology field, took on the role of advisor to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy in March, in addition to her regular duties. Her subsequent public statements mainly focused on her new position.

At the same time, Republican-controlled states such as Florida are setting up similar local institutions modeled after DOGE.

From ambitious "reforms in Washington" to ultimately failing, Musk and DOGE's experience is touching. During his tenure at DOGE, Musk repeatedly clashed with other officials in the U.S. government over policies and personnel arrangements.

Reuters once reported that Musk had conflicts with several senior cabinet members of the Trump administration, including Secretary of State Rubio, Treasury Secretary Bessembinder, and even called Trump's trade advisor Navarro "a fool."

At a congressional hearing, members of both parties rarely criticized Musk for his "reckless reforms."

Musk announced on May 20 that he would leave the U.S. government. Trump later confirmed that May 30 would be Musk's last day at DOGE.

Musk later told The Washington Post that: "DOGE is becoming a scapegoat for everything."

"Bad things can happen anywhere, and even if we are not involved, we get blamed."

At least in Musk's mind, the DOGE he wanted to build was already gone.

This article is an exclusive contribution from Observer, and without permission, it cannot be reprinted.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7576176887254123062/

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