What is the undissolved DOGE still doing?

The news reported by Reuters that "the U.S. government efficiency department DOGE has been disbanded" turned out to be fake news.

According to a Reuters report on November 23, the person who publicly confirmed this news was a senior official from the Trump administration, Scott Kupor, the director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (USOPM). This news quickly caused a stir. In Reuters' description, the gradual demise of DOGE sharply contrasts with the government's months-long efforts to promote its effectiveness: Trump and his advisors, along with cabinet ministers, initially hyped it on social media, and Musk even once wielded a chainsaw to promote the reduction of government positions.

However, a dramatic scene soon unfolded, as this seemingly explosive report quickly sparked controversy and multiple clarifications.

DOGE tweeted that this is fake news

After the report was published, Scott Kupor, who was said to have confirmed the news, quickly disputed Reuters on social media, claiming that Reuters "cleverly edited" his full comments to create a sensational headline.

He clarified in a tweet: "The principles of DOGE still exist and are functioning well: deregulation, eliminating fraudulent waste and abuse, reshaping the federal workforce, and making efficiency a top priority. DOGE has catalyzed these changes." He added, "The fact is: DOGE may not have achieved centralized leadership under @USDS. But the principles of DOGE still exist and are effective."

Reuters' "fake news," those hoping for DOGE's disbandment have never rested

As a globally renowned news agency, Reuters serves clients all over the world and should ideally maintain a relatively neutral stance. However, in the U.S., conservative readers generally perceive Reuters as left-leaning. The premature report of DOGE's disbandment raises questions about whether it is an objective statement of fact or carries some bias. This has sparked widespread debate.

Various signs suggest that this report may reflect several layers of sentiment: first, the establishment and traditional media are fundamentally displeased with DOGE as a disruptor and want to diminish its influence by portraying its "disbandment"; second, the Washington political circle has long harbored resentment towards Musk and DOGE, seizing the opportunity to declare its failure through the media.

Public speculation is not without basis.

Since its inception, DOGE has been destined to make enemies on all sides. The very existence of this agency challenges the power structure in Washington, touching too many interests, and thus it has faced fierce opposition from multiple fronts.

Protesters have gathered outside the Office of Personnel Management, claiming that Musk has illegally controlled government infrastructure and expressing concern that this unelected foreign-born individual might steal sensitive information stored on federal servers. Federal employees, retirees, and others shocked and angered by Musk and DOGE's actions have organized rallies in front of the Treasury Department. Twenty-one employees of the U.S. Digital Service (USDS) collectively resigned. These internal rebellions demonstrate that DOGE's radical approach has provoked strong resistance from government employees.

Multiple polls indicate that a majority of Americans oppose DOGE's dissection of the government and the power Musk has acquired. Musk once stated in a cabinet meeting that the government efficiency department team he leads faces daily death threats.

Despite Musk leaving Washington after publicly falling out with Trump in May, Trump administration officials have never publicly claimed that it no longer exists. However, signals of DOGE's demise have been discussed and released externally.

For instance, the so-called "false informant" Scott Kupor, while there is no direct evidence indicating he has had a public conflict with Musk or DOGE, has openly expressed his disagreement with DOGE's handling methods.

Who is the "false informant" Scott Kupor?

The name Scott Kupor may be unfamiliar to many. However, he was previously a managing partner at the renowned Silicon Valley venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z). On July 14, 2025, Scott Kupor was sworn in as the director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

After taking office, Kupor introduced modern recruitment reforms, such as changing the traditional "select one from three candidates" to "select from a larger talent pool," aiming to draw from a broader talent pool. He also emphasized that OPM should become more efficient and transparent, actively bringing in technical talent (especially related to AI) into the federal government.

In media interviews, Kupor made it clear: "OPM is its own agency." He added that if DOGE's goals align with his, he is willing to cooperate, but he will never fully follow DOGE's directives. In other words, he wants to institutionalize efficiency reforms but will not fully embrace Musk's radical methods.

Past reports also indicate that Kupor and DOGE have differing opinions. According to the Financial Times, he has criticized the control mechanisms pushed by Musk, such as requiring employees to submit "weekly progress reports." The Washington Post also reported that he found Musk's "five things weekly report system" to be inefficient. Regarding Musk's initially proposed super radical reduction targets, he expressed skepticism: "We can't just save $2 trillion by cutting discretionary spending to zero."

This gradual reform approach sharply contrasts with Musk's radical layoffs. Kupor may believe that promoting reforms through traditional agencies like OPM is more prudent and sustainable than relying on "external consultants" like Musk. Despite criticism, he also acknowledges that DOGE has played a key catalytic role.

According to Kupor himself, along with Reuters' revelations, OPM has now taken over many of DOGE's cost-cutting and personnel reduction tasks. From a bureaucratic perspective, OPM, as the federal government's human resources department, is supposed to handle these tasks. Kupor's statements may reflect an internal adjustment within the Trump administration: there is no longer a need for a controversial independent agency led by Musk, but rather to integrate reform functions into regular government departments. This way, reforms can continue while reducing external pressure.

What "report card" has DOGE delivered?

In October last year, at a Trump campaign rally at Madison Square Garden, Musk stated that he believed DOGE could cut "at least" $2 trillion in federal spending, a figure higher than the discretionary spending budget for 2023.

In the first cabinet meeting this February, Musk remained optimistic that a $1 trillion cut was achievable—15% of the budget.

However, as time passed, this target was repeatedly scaled back. By April 2025, Musk stated that $150 billion had been cut, but this figure was questioned by fact-checkers, with Blake Moore, the head of the House DOGE core group, stating on June 5 that Republican members had always known this was "a massive exaggeration."

According to its website, DOGE terminated 13,440 contracts, 15,887 grants, and 264 leases—these estimated figures fluctuated dramatically during its 10-month existence. DOGE promised to save American taxpayers $1 trillion, but even according to their own accounts, they have fallen far short of this goal.

As of the time of writing, the DOGE website claims that the department has collectively achieved $214 billion in savings through "asset sales, contract/lease cancellations and renegotiations, fraud and improper payment eliminations, grant cancellations, interest savings, project changes, regulatory savings, and layoffs," equivalent to $1,329.19 per taxpayer.

This figure is far from the initially promised $1 trillion target, achieving only about 21%. Since the agency has not disclosed detailed work accounts, external financial experts cannot verify the authenticity of this claim. After the fiscal year ended in October, The New York Times reported that budget experts and the congressional appropriations committee still did not know how much funding had been cut or where the unused funds had gone.

In a recent tweet, DOGE stated that in the past nine days, it has terminated or reduced 78 wasteful contracts, totaling $1.9 billion, saving $335 million.

These include a $616,000 HHS IT services contract for "social media monitoring platform subscription"; a $191,000 USAGM broadcasting contract for "broadcast operations and maintenance in Ethiopia, Africa"; and a $4.3 million IRS IT services contract for "Inflation Reduction Act transformation project management support."

Prior to this, DOGE's "achievements" were primarily reflected in personnel reductions and paralyzed agencies.

DOGE began its federal agency cuts by eliminating all employees engaged in diversity, equity, and inclusion work across federal agencies, who were placed on administrative leave.

Then, DOGE announced a voluntary "deferred retirement" plan, also known as "Fork in the Road," offering federal employees the option to resign while continuing to receive pay until the end of September—nearly 75,000 federal employees accepted this proposal in February. Related reading: "After cutting hundreds of millions in contracts, what bizarre government departments has Musk's D.O.G.E discovered?"

The second Trump administration announced approximately 300,000 layoffs of U.S. federal employees, almost all attributed to DOGE. As of July 14, 2025, CNN tracked at least 128,709 workers who were laid off or targeted for layoffs. As of May 12, The New York Times tracked over 58,500 confirmed cuts, over 76,000 employee buyouts, and over 149,000 other planned reductions; the total cuts accounted for 12% of the 2.4 million civilian federal workforce.

In a blog post released on Friday regarding the federal personnel plan, Kupor stated that the government hired about 68,000 people this year, while 317,000 employees left the government—exceeding Trump's goal of cutting four positions for every person hired.

Specifically, in various departments: the Department of Education will cut nearly 50% of its staff. Over 1,300 positions will be eliminated through RIF—along with about 600 people accepting the "Fork" deferred resignation proposal or the department's VSIP proposal. The Department of Veterans Affairs aims to "return to our final strength of 399,957 employees in 2019," which will reduce about 80,000 employees. The Department of Health and Human Services announced significant cuts, stating it intends to cut 20,000 positions (25% of the agency), half of which they plan to achieve through early retirement, buyouts, and natural attrition.

DOGE has also been a driving force behind many personnel reductions within the federal government this year. Government agencies account for most of these layoffs, with 62,530 federal employees laid off in the first two months of 2025. This represents an astonishing increase of 41,311% compared to the same period in 2024.

It is no wonder that this fake news about DOGE's "disbandment" emerged, as too many people hope to see this agency that disrupts the power dynamics in Washington disappear.

And now, the story of DOGE may not be truly over yet.

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