The Trump administration's agenda through the close of 2025 maintained a focus on government efficiency and spending reductions, building on principles initially associated with the "DOGE" initiative. These efforts included federal workforce reductions, targeted funding cuts, data consolidation, and ongoing governmental restructuring, even as the national debt increased and federal expenditures continued to exceed revenue.
Background and Elon Musk's Involvement
Earlier in the month, Elon Musk, who previously advised the Trump administration and led DOGE, discussed his involvement on Katie Miller's podcast. Musk characterized DOGE's work as "somewhat successful" but stated he would not repeat the experience, noting, "We were somewhat successful. I mean we stopped a lot of funding... that really just made no sense, that was just entirely wasteful." Musk departed his role with DOGE in May following legal challenges and internal disagreements within the administration. Despite his departure, the administration continued to prioritize the reduction of government spending as a method to decrease the national deficit and streamline bureaucracy. While many initial objectives for efficiency and spending reductions were not fully achieved, the administration adjusted its strategies towards more incremental adjustments to federal agencies.
Key Initiatives and Outcomes
Federal Workforce Reductions
Agencies that had received directives from DOGE to reduce staff earlier in the year subsequently rehired personnel before the fiscal year concluded in September. Concurrently, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) sought further layoffs during the federal government shutdown that began in October. By the end of 2025, approximately 317,000 federal employees are projected to have departed government service, according to the Office of Personnel Management. Certain federal agencies and programs, including the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and portions of the Education Department, underwent significant restructuring or elimination. Despite these reductions and efforts to decrease contracts and terminate leases, federal expenditures continued to exceed revenue.
Targeted Funding Cuts
OMB Director Russ Vought leads efforts to streamline the federal workforce and has advocated for a smaller federal government. This included efforts to enact large-scale workforce reductions at several agencies during the October government shutdown, which were prevented by court rulings. During the shutdown, the Trump administration announced multiple rounds of funding reductions targeting programs identified by the president as "Democrat priorities," such as transportation and energy grants.
Data Consolidation and Enforcement
DOGE's initiative to consolidate sensitive personal data across federal agencies withstood legal challenges and was utilized for the administration's immigration enforcement objectives. This included the transformation of a federal citizenship verification database and requests for states to provide information about federal food aid recipients. NPR previously reported that some of these efforts incorrectly identified U.S. citizens.
Ongoing Government Restructuring
Even though the DOGE entity received less public attention following Musk's departure, the focus of its work persisted. Key personnel associated with Musk and DOGE transitioned to full-time roles within federal agencies. An executive order signed by the president on August 21, 2025, established the National Design Studio, tasked with improving the federal government's online systems and websites. Joe Gebbia, an Airbnb co-founder and associate of Musk, serves as the Chief Design Officer for this effort. Gebbia previously directed DOGE's efforts to overhaul and digitize the federal employee retirement system at the Office of Personnel Management. The studio is responsible for the website for "Trump Accounts," tax-advantaged investment accounts for U.S. children established by the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" signed earlier this year. Other projects include the Energy Department's "Genesis Mission" and the "US Tech Force," a two-year program seeking engineers to develop government technology.
Federal Spending and National Debt
One of DOGE's stated objectives was to address the national debt, which increased by over $2.2 trillion between October 1, 2024, and September 30, 2025, reaching more than $38 trillion. This number is projected to increase by at least an additional $3 trillion over the next decade beyond baseline projections, attributed to the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," which enacted tax cuts and new spending initiatives aligned with the administration's priorities. White House spokesman Davis Ingle stated, "President Trump pledged to reduce waste, fraud, and abuse in government, and the Administration is committed to fulfilling this pledge." The White House did not provide a direct response to inquiries regarding government deficit spending or the national debt increase.
From the beginning of the new fiscal year in October to the end of November, the federal government spent approximately $500 billion more than it collected in revenue, a slight decrease compared to the corresponding period last year. The majority of federal spending, approximately 65% this fiscal year, is allocated to Social Security, Medicare, health programs, income security, and veterans' benefits and services. An additional 14% is for national defense, along with interest payments towards the national debt. DOGE's initiatives did not include these widely supported programs, which would require Congressional approval for modification.