How DOGE could succeed — or fail miserably
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How DOGE could succeed — or fail miserably
In 2014, his administration still reeling from the colossally bungled rollout of the Obamacare website Healthcare.gov, then-President Barack Obama tapped a team of Silicon Valley techies to drag the executive branch into the digital age. His administration created the United States Digital Service, led by Mikey Dickerson, who had left Google in 2013 to help fix Healthcare.gov, and Jennifer Pahlka, who had founded the nonprofit Code for America.
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Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Musk's administration allies become targets
Elon Musk's allies inside the Trump administration are newly vulnerable after the mogul's bitter public breakup with the president. MAGA loyalists are taking advantage of the Trump-Musk rift to threaten the standing of anyone in the administration who's perceived as too close to the Tesla CEO. Leading that charge is former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, whose long-running animosity toward Musk peaked last week with the former calling to deport Musk from the US and the latter deeming Bannon a 'Communist retard.' Among the potential Bannon targets: David Sacks, the venture capitalist tapped by Trump as artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency czar. Sacks has invested in Musk's SpaceX and, like Musk, is a member of the so-called PayPal Mafia (early PayPal employees and founders who are a Silicon Valley force). 'You're dangerous. It's all about you, not the country,' Bannon recently said on his War Room podcast of Sacks and his All-In Podcast co-hosts. But the administration's close ties to the crypto industry and Sacks' help to the Trump campaign mean he's likely to avoid the chopping block. 'As a trusted ally and early supporter of President Trump, David Sacks sacrificed a thriving entrepreneurial career to serve as the President's AI and Crypto Czar,' White House spokesman Harrison Fields said in a statement, adding that Sacks 'is deeply committed to advancing the president's vision' on both issues. That leaves lesser-known figures brought in by Musk to bear the brunt of the speculation about more exits — talk that Silicon Valley is monitoring closely, and with good reason. One person familiar with the situation told Semafor that there are ongoing conversations inside the administration 'regarding the future of some of these big names that came to the federal government in that wave of Elon coming here.' This person described possible forthcoming departures as more of a 'mutual separation' than a forced ouster. A number of Musk allies are still working with the Department of Government Efficiency, and officials are said to be cognizant of those who may now have conflicts of interests or dualing loyalties. The White House's longer-term goal in the wake of the Trump-Musk spat is to underscore that DOGE 'isn't just a fad,' this person added, and some in the administration are discussing ways to separate its mission from 'the personality behind the original initiative.' 'Maybe we don't call it DOGE,' the person suggested. 'The mission is what we want to stay focused on.' Sacks hosted Trump for a fundraiser last summer at his home on San Francisco's Billionaire Row, cementing his role as a tech industry conduit to the White House. He's got a rare office in the White House complex, two sources told Semafor, and is playing a lead role in shepherding crypto legislation through Congress — as well as drafting a long-awaited administration report, expected in July, that will shape other industry-friendly policies. Sacks 'brought Silicon Valley to the table with him well before Musk jumped on board' the Trump campaign, one tech industry insider said. Since then, 'he has avoided all of the third rails that Musk grabbed' by focusing his efforts on cementing crypto-friendly policy and competing with China on AI. That hasn't stopped Bannon from going after him, particularly after the All-In podcast — co-hosted by Sacks and a favorite stop for administration officials — scrapped plans to release an episode about the Trump-Musk battle. 'Folks like Bannon are trying to drive a wedge between tech right and MAGA right,' said one crypto executive, who was granted anonymity to speak candidly. 'I don't see it sticking.' A spokesperson for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, where part of Sacks' work is housed, did not respond to requests for comment. A number of other top DOGE staffers departed the administration when Musk did, including Katie Miller — the wife of Trump's influential deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller. It's clear that, even before Trump and Musk traded barbs last week, the administration expected a shift in staff once the tech mogul left Washington. But any remaining administration players who are tied to Musk can't be breathing entirely easy yet, given that conversations are ongoing about how to shape DOGE more in Trump's image than his former friend's. In that sense, the MAGA right may not have to push too hard to get some people Musk hired out of the administration. Still, it seems unlikely Bannon will succeed in expanding his manhunt to people as senior as Sacks, who was Team Trump long before Musk — and who has ties to industries like crypto that the administration wants to keep close. Bannon will need the backing of much heavier hitters if he wants to bring down Sacks. Bannon and his wing of the GOP — including agitator Laura Loomer — have proved more influential than initially predicted. 'Influence comes from the people. When you have the people's support, you're influential,' Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., said in February. 'He's a big voice of MAGA, and that's helpful for the President's agenda. He's someone that pushes back when people aren't in line.' Some DOGE staffers are worried about being cut in the wake of the Trump-Musk feud, The Wall Street Journal recently reported. Trump and his administration remain firmly behind DOGE's efforts despite the drama with Musk himself, The New York Times reported. Trump pulled NASA administrator nominee Jared Isaacman, a Musk ally, shortly after the tech billionaire left the White House, Semafor scooped.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Trump isn't done with Musk yet, Michael Cohen says
President Trump's ex-personal attorney Michael Cohen on Saturday said that Trump isn't done with tech billionaire Elon Musk yet, after tensions between the two men became incredibly heated in a public social media spat last week. 'They're going to really go after Elon Musk like nobody has seen, ever, in this country, because they can,' Cohen told MSNBC's Ali Velshi. 'And one thing Elon doesn't understand is this political guerilla warfare that they're going to conduct against him,' he added. On Thursday, a fight between Musk and Trump over the president's 'big, beautiful bill' earlier in the week escalated rapidly on Musk's X platform and Trump's Truth Social platform. The president said the tech billionaire 'just went CRAZY!' and threatened Musk's government contracts. Musk alleged that Trump had ties to convicted sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein on X. The public spat followed the end of Musk's recent service in the Trump administration and an alliance with the president that appeared to start off strong. Musk endorsed Trump in July 2024 in the wake of Trump surviving an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania. Musk's administration service was marked by intense backlash from those on the left and Democrats over actions taken by Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) on the federal government. 'He doesn't care about Elon Musk,' Cohen said in his MSNBC appearance, talking about Trump. 'He used Elon Musk for what he needed. Initially it was the money, so that he didn't have to lay out any of his own, and also, more importantly, for his access with X.' The Hill has reached out to the White House and X for comment. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
What's next for DOGE after Trump's alliance with Musk collapsed
What's next for DOGE after Trump's alliance with Musk collapsed Show Caption Hide Caption President Trump gives his thoughts on Elon Musk amid clash on bill President Donald Trump responded to Elon Musk's criticism of his "big, beautiful bill" with disappointment as Musk responded on X. WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump says the work of the Department of Government Efficiency is "not finished at all" after his relationship Elon Musk blew up in spectacular fashion. Yet whether the government-slashing DOGE will pack the same punch now that the world's richest man not only left the White House, but turned on Trump in an epic public battle, is unclear. The future of DOGE was already in limbo after Musk's four-month run as the chainsaw-wielding DOGE leader ended, especially because several other top DOGE officials exited the Trump administration alongside Musk. But then came Musk's war of words last week with Trump that ended their political alliance. Here's what we know about DOGE's direction in a post-Musk White House: Trump says DOGE will keep going minus Musk In the aftermath of their fallout, Trump signaled that he's ready to move on from the Musk fight but not DOGE itself. The president told reporters on June 6 he's "not thinking about Elon" and has no plans to ask him to return his honorary White House key. Trump added on June 9 that he's not getting rid of the red Tesla car he bought from Musk ‒ but "may move the Tesla around a little bit" ‒ and said he won't ditch Musk's Starlink internet service that was installed at the White House. More: Trump and Musk's bromance ends after personal attacks over criticism of tax bill Trump declined to take a shot at Musk when asked about the former White House adviser's alleged drug use and whether he believed Musk used drugs at the White House. "I really don't know. I don't think so. I hope not," Trump said. "We had a good relationship and I just wish him well ‒ very well actually." For his part, Musk appeared to take back some of his harshest attacks, deleting a post he made on X endorsing Trump's impeachment and another alleging Trump is mentioned in undisclosed classified files related to the financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Trump reiterated that in the wake of recent departures, the work of DOGE, which has executed widespread cuts throughout the federal government, isn't over. "We saved hundreds of billions of dollars ‒ it's terrific. And it's going further," Trump told reporters on Air Force One on June 6. More: Elon Musk's rise and fall: From Trump's chainsaw-wielding sidekick to a swift exit Others out at DOGE For four months, DOGE rapidly fanned throughout the federal government, seizing control of information technology infrastructure, axing federal government contracts, gutting the United States Agency for International Development and pushing out or firing tens of thousands of federal employees. DOGE is set to continue operations until the summer of 2026 under an executive order Trump signed in January. But without Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, at the helm, it's unclear if DOGE will operate with the same slash-and-burn aggressiveness. At its peak, the quasi-official agency employed more than 100 computer engineers, budget analysts and other staffers ‒ some working at the group's offices at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus and others inside various agencies and departments. More: Elon Musk escalates feud with Trump: 'Time to drop the really big bomb' Among the other top DOGE employees to follow were Steve Davis, Musk's top lieutenant who oversaw DOGE's day-to-day operations, publicist Katie Miller and DOGE's top attorney James Burnham. Miller, the wife of top White House aide Stephen Miller, has continued to work for Musk. Musk's exit as the DOGE leader came as his designation as a "special government employee" ‒ which allowed him to stay on the job for 130 calendar days a year ‒ ended. Others in DOGE's top brass were working under the same structure. Before Musk began to criticize Trump's tax and policy megabill publicly, he asked for his special government employee status to be extended beyond 130 days to allow him to continue to lead DOGE, but the White House declined, a source told USA TODAY. Russ Vought takes on slashing role post-Musk The White House has said no individual person will replace Musk, noting that several DOGE employees have "onboarded" as political appointees at the various agencies they've worked to overhaul. 'The mission of eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse is a part of the DNA of the federal government," Harrison Fields, White House deputy press secretary, said in a statement to USA TODAY, "and will continue under the direction of the President, his cabinet, and agency heads to enhance government efficiency and prioritize responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars." Russ Vought, Trump's director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, has started to fill Musk's void as the top Trump official carrying out DOGE's stated mission of cutting government "waste, fraud and abuse." Vought, who also led OMB in Trump's first term, wrote the chapter on executive power in Project 2025, the controversial policy blueprint created by the conservative Heritage Foundation that Trump tried to distance himself from during the 2024 campaign. Vought uses a lot of the same language as Musk, writing in Project 2025 that the goal should be to "bend or break the bureaucracy to the presidential will." Vought, however, isn't calling himself the DOGE leader. Appearing June 4 before the House Appropriations Committee, Vought said the "cabinet agencies that are in charge of the DOGE consultants that work for them are fundamentally in control of DOGE." Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wisconsin, wasn't pleased with Vought's convoluted answer. "Oh, that's an answer only a mother could love," he said. White House, GOP leaders look to codify DOGE cuts Leading up to the Trump-Musk breakup, the business mogul started leveling criticism over the trillions of dollars that Trump's massive tax and spending bill is projected to add to the deficit. In an appeal to Republican fiscal hawks, the White House and House Speaker Mike Johnson have said they want to codify the DOGE cuts, beginning this week when they hope to formally claw back $9.4 billion in spending. More: President Trump threatens Elon Musk's billions in government contracts as alliance craters The rescissions package, set for a House vote on June 12, will include $8.3 billion in cuts to foreign aid and $1.1 billion from public broadcasting funds, including for NPR and PBS. Republican leadership is bullish that they can get the package quickly passed. They have 45 days to approve it, and it only requires a majority vote in the Senate. But it may not be so simple: Several lawmakers have concerns with the rollback of a Bush-era program to support AIDS prevention and with the impact on rural communities that rely on public media for information. Vought has said future legislative packages to enact DOGE cuts could come later if the initial rescissions package passes. Musk left White House with DOGE goals unmet Musk left the White House after falling vastly short of his ambitious cost-savings goal for the federal government. Musk had set a goal for DOGE to cut $1 trillion from the federal government by the next fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. He had even talked about $2 trillion in cuts on the 2024 campaign trail when he stumped for Trump. More: 'Elon is going to get decimated:' How Trump's feud with the world's richest man might end But DOGE's savings total posted on its website currently stands at $180 billion, which does amount to even 20% of $1 trillion. And this does not even factor in potential exaggerations or errors in DOGE's calculations, which have been a recurring theme in the group's declared savings. "I did not find the federal government to be rife with waste, fraud and abuse. I was expecting some more easy wins," Sahil Lavingia, a former DOGE engineer, said in an interview with National Public Radio. Lavingia added that he believed DOGE had produced many examples of government "waste" but disagreed that DOGE uncovered mountains of "fraud and abuse" like Musk claimed. "The government has been under sort of a magnifying glass for decades," Lavingia said. "And so I think, generally, I personally was pretty surprised, actually, at how efficient the government was. This isn't to say that it can't be made more efficient." DOGE rehiring some terminated workers Before he left, Musk said DOGE's next focus will be on fixing the federal government's aging computer systems ‒ something far less controversial than taking a battering ram to the federal workforce. In the meantime, some federal agencies and departments are doing cleanup work to repatch holes left by the mass exodus of federal worker departures steered by DOGE. The National Science Foundation said it was reinstating several dozen employees following a May federal court ruling that found the mass cuts by DOGE were unlawfully forced by the Office of Personnel Management. The Washington Post reported that several agencies, including the IRS, Food and Drug Administration, and even USAID, are also scrambling to rehire many of the probationary employees fired under DOGE's direction and bring back longtime federal workers who accepted voluntary buyouts. Contributing: Riley Beggin of USA TODAY Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.
