The Trump administration's agenda continues to reflect the principles associated with the DOGE initiative as 2025 concludes.
Background and Elon Musk's Involvement
Earlier this month, Elon Musk, a former leader of the DOGE initiative and Trump adviser, discussed his tenure with the administration on Katie Miller's podcast. He characterized DOGE's work as "somewhat successful" but stated he would not undertake it again. Musk commented, "We were somewhat successful. I mean we stopped a lot of funding... that really just made no sense, that was just entirely wasteful." Musk left his role with DOGE in May following legal challenges and internal disagreements with Trump's cabinet.
Despite his departure, the administration maintains its focus on reducing spending as a method to address the growing national deficit and to establish a more streamlined bureaucracy.
While many initial objectives for DOGE to increase efficiency and cut spending were not fully realized, the administration continues to pursue these goals.
Key Actions and Outcomes
Here is an overview of DOGE's activities and the Trump administration's calibrated approach to federal agencies:
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Federal Workforce Reduction: Agencies that were initially ordered by DOGE to dismiss employees earlier in the year were observed rehiring workers before the fiscal year's end in September. Concurrently, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) sought further staff reductions during the federal government shutdown in October. By the close of 2025, approximately 317,000 federal employees are projected to have left 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 significant portions of the Education Department, have been effectively eliminated. Despite these reductions and efforts to cut contracts and terminate leases, federal expenditures continue to exceed revenue.
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Targeted Funding Cuts: OMB Director Russ Vought leads initiatives to streamline the federal workforce and reduce the government's operational scope. This includes efforts to implement widespread reductions-in-force at several agencies during the October government shutdown, which were subsequently blocked by courts. During the shutdown, the Trump administration also announced several rounds of funding cuts directed at what the president identified as "Democrat priorities," such as transportation and energy grants. This reflects a strategy of allocating funds to preferred policies and withdrawing funding from policies with which the administration disagrees.
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Data Consolidation and Enforcement: The DOGE initiative's efforts to consolidate sensitive personal data across federal agencies have withstood legal challenges. This data has been utilized for the administration's immigration enforcement priorities, including modifications to a federal citizenship verification database and requests for states to provide information on federal food aid recipients. NPR previously reported that some of these initiatives have incorrectly flagged U.S. citizens.
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Ongoing Government Restructuring: While the DOGE entity has received less media attention in recent months following Musk's departure, its foundational work persists. Many of Musk's key associates and DOGE lieutenants have transitioned into full-time roles within the agencies to which they were initially detailed. 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 cofounder and Musk associate, serves as the Chief Design Officer for this effort. Gebbia previously led DOGE's overhaul and digitization of the federal employee retirement system at the Office of Personnel Management. The studio is responsible for the website of the new "Trump Accounts," which are tax-advantaged investment accounts for U.S. children, created under the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" signed earlier this year. Additional projects include the Energy Department's "Genesis Mission" and the US Tech Force, a two-year program designed to recruit engineers for the development of government technology.
Federal Spending and National Debt
One of DOGE's stated objectives was to address the national debt, which increased by more than $2.2 trillion between October 1, 2024, and September 30, 2025, reaching over $38 trillion. This figure is projected to increase by at least an additional $3 trillion over the next decade beyond baseline projections, largely due to the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" enacted this year, which includes tax cuts and new spending on the administration's priorities.
White House spokesman Davis Ingle stated, "President Trump pledged to cut the waste, fraud, and abuse in our government, and the Administration is committed to delivering on this pledge for the American people." The White House did not provide direct responses to inquiries regarding the government's deficit spending or the increase in the national debt.
From the start of the new fiscal year in October to the end of November, federal expenditures exceeded revenue by nearly half a trillion dollars. This amount is slightly less than the deficit during the same period in the previous year. The majority of federal spending, approximately 65% in the current fiscal year, is allocated to Social Security, Medicare, health programs, income security, and veterans' benefits and services. An additional 14% is for national defense, alongside interest payments on the national debt. DOGE's efforts did not impact these broadly popular programs, which would necessitate Congressional action for modification.