Explainer: What Musk's 130-day DOGE tenure achieved, and what it didn't

Business Standard

2 days ago

Elon Musk announced that he would be stepping down as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a role he held under US President Donald Trump. Now, as he exits after 130 days, public debate swirls over what, if anything, the initiative has truly accomplished.
What is DOGE?
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was created by Executive Order 14158 on January 20, 2025, with the aim of modernising federal operations, cutting wasteful spending, and trimming bureaucracy. Born from conversations between Trump and Musk in 2024, DOGE was positioned as a high-tech reform unit to overhaul how Washington works and spend less doing it.
Musk was appointed as a 'special government employee' for 180 days, during which he led DOGE with an ambitious promise: slash $2 trillion from federal spending and 'end the tyranny of bureaucracy.'
Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy was also tapped to lead this charge. While Ramaswamy soon resigned to run for Ohio governor, Musk remained the face of DOGE.
What Musk claims DOGE achieved
On his way out, Musk claimed DOGE had saved the government $150 billion by targeting waste, fraud, and inefficiency. In a farewell message on his platform X, he thanked Trump for the opportunity. He boasted a 12 per cent reduction in the federal workforce, about 260,000 jobs, as a sign of progress. More than two million government employees were offered voluntary buyouts.
According to DOGE's own figures, savings reached $160 billion by late April. These, Musk argued, were achieved by eliminating 'crazy' diversity contracts, dismantling foreign aid programmes, slashing staff, and targeting fraud and redundancy. What critics say DOGE achieved
Also Read
However, watchdogs and analysts have questioned both Musk's figures and methods. While DOGE claims up to $160 billion in savings, only $61.5 billion has been itemised publicly, and just $32.5 billion of that has supporting documentation, according to a BBC analysis.
Moreover, critics argue the savings have come at a steep price. DOGE's mass layoffs have disrupted vital services and triggered legal challenges. Courts have blocked some of its actions, including access to sensitive treasury data, citing constitutional concerns. Lawsuits from unions, watchdogs and state officials accuse DOGE of bypassing Congress and acting with undue secrecy.
Martha Gimbel of the Yale Budget Lab told The Guardian, 'There clearly been a degeneration of government services.' She warned of growing delays and inefficiencies, especially at agencies like the Department of Veterans Affairs, which faces a planned 80,000 job reduction.
DOGE and Musk controversies
Political pushback
Democrats accused the agency of overstepping constitutional limits by cutting budgets that had already been approved by Congress. Musk's leadership became a lightning rod, drawing ire not only from Democrats but also from within the Republican base, as concerns grew over the department's aggressive cost-cutting and lack of legislative oversight.
Tesla takedown
Musk's involvement with DOGE triggered strong backlash from Tesla investors. Major shareholders, including pension funds, blamed his divided focus for a 71 per cent drop in Tesla's quarterly profits and a 13 per cent decline in sales, demanding that he commit at least 40 hours a week to the company or step down as the chief executive. At the same time, the ' Tesla Takedown ' movement gained momentum, with protests at Tesla stores across the US and Europe urging a consumer boycott over Musk's political activities and DOGE-driven federal budget cuts. Tesla's European sales plunged by 49 per cent, further fueling investor concerns.
Public opinion
Public opinion has soured on Musk. A Pew poll in February showed 54 per cent of Americans view him unfavourably, with 37 per cent rating him "very unfavourable".
Amy Gleason vs Musk: Who was in charge of DOGE?
In a strange turn of events, the Trump administration in February claimed Amy Gleason was officially in charge of the DOGE, despite Elon Musk being widely seen as its public leader. This announcement came amid questions about Musk's formal role and concerns over potential conflicts of interest. However, President Trump later clarified that Musk remained central to the DOGE initiative, calling him the 'visionary' behind the effort. Amy Gleason, a healthcare technology executive with prior experience in the US Digital Service and the White House Covid-19 data team, was positioned as the department's administrator on paper. The conflicting messages about who was truly in charge created public confusion and raised concerns about transparency and oversight within the department.
What did DOGE really achieve?
The accomplishments:
- High-profile cost-cutting measures
- Structural changes in select departments
The criticism:
- Overblown savings claims
- No demonstrable improvement in public services
- Lawsuits, protests, and severe public backlash
During a press meet on May 1, Musk acknowledged that DOGE's results fell short of his $1 trillion goal, stating, 'In the grand scheme of things, I think we've been effective. Not as effective as I'd like... It can be done, but it requires dealing with a lot of complaints.'
He blamed institutional resistance and political pain thresholds for limiting deeper cuts.