DOGE Closes 8 Months Early

The Department of Government Efficiency has closed eight months before its scheduled termination date set by President Donald Trump, with a U.S. official assuring that government agencies are now working to “institutionalize” DOGE’s core principles.

U.S. Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor recently told Reuters that DOGE, established by Trump at the start of his second term, “doesn’t exist” and isn’t a “centralized entity,” and that OPM has now taken over many of DOGE’s functions.

In response to the report, Kupor said Reuters “spliced my full comments … to create a grabbing headline,” but did not deny the agency’s closure.

“The truth is: DOGE may not have centralized leadership under @USDS. But, the principles of DOGE remain alive and well: de-regulation; eliminating fraud, waste and abuse; re-shaping the federal workforce; making efficiency a first-class citizen; etc. DOGE catalyzed these changes; the agencies along with @USOPM and @WHOMB will institutionalize them!” Kupor posted on X.

Kupor included a press release with his statement, which detailed an “important step” in the pursuit of “maximum” government efficiency. It said Trump issued an executive order directing executive agency heads to submit annual headcount plans to both OPM and the Office of Management and Budget.

In response to an inquiry about the Reuters report, OPM directed the Washington Examiner to Kupor’s statement.

DOGE was originally scheduled to conclude its business on July 4, 2026, the 250th anniversary of the United States. As of Sunday, the agency states it has garnered an estimated $214 billion in savings through its work.

DOGE’s most recent post on X was on Sunday morning, which said agencies terminated 78 “wasteful” contracts with a value of $1.9 billion and savings of $335 million in a little over a week.

The news of the agency’s closure comes as multiple DOGE employees have already taken on new roles in the Trump administration. Joe Gebbia, for instance, now heads the National Design Studio, which Trump established in August to improve the design of government websites.

Likewise, Zachary Terrell, who was part of the DOGE team given access to government health systems, is now working as chief technology officer at the Department of Health and Human Services.

Businessman Elon Musk, who was the face of DOGE, stepped down from his leadership role at the agency in May, but said it would be “a long-term enterprise” to prevent future waste and fraud. Musk also feuded with the president in June, which severed their relationship. Since then, the two have been on friendlier terms.