What is Doge and why is Musk leaving? – BBC
Tesla boss Elon Musk has left the Trump administration and his role in Doge, the body tasked with reducing US government spending and cutting jobs.
The Department of Government Efficiency has faced legal challenges over the scope of its work, and Musk and his team have been criticised for a lack of transparency as well as their failure to reach savings anywhere near stated goals.
However, polling suggests the idea of cutting federal government spending has widespread support.
Musk's departure had been rumoured for weeks and was confirmed a few days after he criticised a sweeping budget bill currently in front of Congress.
"I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful," Musk told CBS News. "But I don't know if it can be both."
In a departing news conference at the White House, Trump and Musk showered each other with praise, and the president gave the tech tycoon a large golden key in a wooden box.
Although according to the president, Musk is "not really leaving" and will continue to be "back and forth" to the White House.
Despite its full name, Doge is not an official government department, which can only be established by an act of Congress.
Instead the advisory body was created by an executive order signed by US President Donald Trump.
Part of Doge's mission, according to the order, relates to IT upgrades aimed at boosting efficiency. It must finish its work by July 2026, but Trump could issue another order to extend its lifespan.
Many Doge staff appear to be young people with tech backgrounds and limited or no government experience.
Yes. Musk initially said he would perform his role as an outside volunteer but the White House later confirmed he would operate as an unpaid special government employee.
That designation covers those working for the government for no more than 130 days in a year.
Supporters argued that the body's outsider status – and somewhat vague mandate – would increase its effectiveness.
"They're a little more untethered to the bureaucracy itself and to the systems that slow processes down around here," Republican Senator Kevin Cramer of North Dakota told the BBC.
"I think the lack of parameters is part of what will make them effective."
In an unexpected appearance at the White House in February, Musk denied leading a "hostile takeover" of the US government, and defended his approach.
"The people voted for major government reform and that's what the people are going to get," he said. "That's what democracy is all about."
He also made a number of exaggerated and unsupported claims during the event.
Musk faced accusations he had taken his focus off Tesla, and his political involvement has sparked global protests and boycotts against the company's cars.
In April, the firm said sales had fallen to their lowest level in three years and warned investors that "changing political sentiment" could continue to hurt demand.
Musk said Doge's mission was to end the "tyranny of the bureaucracy", save taxpayers' money and reduce US national debt, which stands at $36tn (£28.9tn).
The organisation's activities have included shuttering government agencies, defunding programmes and mass layoffs.
Initially Musk said he hoped to save as much as $2tn a year, but later halved this pledge.
The cost-cutting did not reach anywhere near that level before Musk departed the government.
Doge publishes a running total of estimated savings on its website – which stood at $175bn on 29 May.
However, a BBC analysis on 23 April found that only $61.5bn of that amount was itemised, and evidence of how the savings were achieved was available for just $32.5bn.
By contrast, the spending bill currently in front of Congress is estimated to add $5.2tn to US debt and increase the budget deficit by about $600bn in the next fiscal year. The bill still needs approval from the Senate and President Trump's signature, in a process that could result in significant changes to the final text.
Musk told CBS News he was "disappointed" by the bill, which he felt "undermines" the work he did for the president on reducing spending.
During their valedictory news conference, however, Musk said the biggest roadblock to cost-cutting was "mostly just hard work" and said that he would continue to advise the president if needed.
Polling in February by CBS News suggested that Doge had popular appeal.
It indicated that a majority of Americans – especially Republican voters – backed its work.
Other polls have shown that while the broad goal of cutting federal spending is supported by a majority of Americans, the specifics of Doge activities and Musk himself are significantly less popular.
David Ditch, a senior analyst at the Economic Policy Innovation Center, a conservative think tank, insists Doge's work is necessary:
"They're shining a very bright spotlight on various parts of the federal government and they're asking – whether it's the American public, whether it's moderate members of the Republican caucus – is this how you want America's tax dollars to be used?"
Even some of those who support Doge's work appear to dislike Musk himself.
In February, Pew Research found that 54% of Americans had an unfavourable view of him, including 37% who said their view was "very unfavourable".
Political opponents and government watchdogs have criticised Doge for acting without transparency and spreading misinformation about government spending – and accuse Musk of overstepping his authority as an unelected official.
They highlight potential conflicts of interest, given Musk's businesses hold contracts with the US government worth billions. Trump and Musk deny that any conflicts have arisen.
Democrats accuse them of tampering with funding approved by Congress that is outside the president's scope. The White House denies that the work has broken any laws.
Multiple groups including unions and state attorneys general have sued Doge and the wider Trump administration over their plans.
On several occasions the courts have stepped in to halt the cost-cutting moves, at least once blocking Doge directly when a judge stopping the agency from accessing personal data held within US Treasury records.
And although Musk and Trump have portrayed the unofficial department as a common sense reaction to "waste" and "fraud", they have been accused of spreading falsehoods about some of the activities they have claimed to cut.
Many analysts remain sceptical about whether Doge can deliver on its bold pledges.
Elaine Kamark from the Brookings Institution said government spending could be streamlined, highlighting her own work for President Bill Clinton in the 1990s.
But she described Musk's goal to slash a third of government spending as "ridiculous", since so much of the budget was mandatory, including popular programmes like Social Security and Medicare.
It's unclear how much of Doge's work will continue without Musk in charge. White House officials said he will continue to act as an unofficial advisor to the president, but is unlikely to participate in future cabinet meetings.
Trump spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said: "We thank him for getting Doge off of the ground, and the efforts to cut waste, fraud and abuse will continue."
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