The US efficiency agency has said it is still operational, touting new cost savings
The US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has dismissed as “fake news” a Reuters report that it had been disbanded, insisting the agency remains operational and will resume regular updates.
US President Donald Trump launched the agency shortly after taking office in January, billing it as a sweeping effort to slash federal waste and bureaucracy and appointing tech billionaire Elon Musk as his government efficiency czar.
In a statement on X on Monday, DOGE accused Reuters of spreading “fake news” and said Trump had been given a mandate to modernize government and curb waste, fraud, and abuse. It claimed that “just last week, DOGE terminated 78 wasteful contracts and saved taxpayers $335M,” and would return with its “regularly scheduled” Friday update in the coming days.
Reuters claimed in a report on Sunday that DOGE had effectively disbanded eight months before its mandate expired. The report said Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor told the outlet earlier this month that DOGE “doesn’t exist” as a centralized entity and that many of its functions have been absorbed by the OPM.
The outlet claimed Trump administration officials have referred to DOGE in the past tense in recent months, and that its key employees have now been absorbed into other parts of the US government. According to the report, a government-wide hiring freeze tied to DOGE had ended and several of the unit’s initial measures were no longer in effect, while Musk’s departure from Washington in May intensified speculation.
Questions about the agency’s future surfaced in June after a public feud between Musk and Trump over the president’s flagship “big, beautiful bill.” Musk quit as head of DOGE and left Washington amid the dispute. Uncertainty over the department’s status had been building for months. Politico earlier reported that staff had vacated its headquarters in June, packing up “clothes and bedding.” The agency had become known for unannounced office visits, deep spending cuts, and mass layoffs.
