Did Elon Musk Quit DOGE? The Rise and Fall of a Government Efficiency Experiment

The Genesis and Ambitions of DOGE

In early 2025, President Donald Trump launched an unprecedented experiment in public sector reform by creating the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Tapped to lead this new entity was Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, whose success in revolutionizing the private sector at Tesla, SpaceX, and Twitter (X) made him an ideal figure to attempt similar feats in government.

DOGE’s mission was simple but ambitious: reduce the federal deficit by cutting inefficiencies, slashing wasteful spending, and reforming outdated bureaucratic structures. Musk took to the challenge with his characteristic gusto. Within three months, DOGE canceled over 1,000 federal contracts, suspended entire agency programs, and claimed to have saved taxpayers $8.6 billion. Publicly, Musk announced he would sleep in the DOGE office quarters, work around the clock, and apply Silicon Valley principles to bureaucratic sluggishness.

He called out what he labeled “nonsense programs” and demanded federal workers produce weekly output reports or face dismissal. Many applauded the swift action. The markets, briefly, responded positively.

Controversies and Legal Challenges

But Musk’s uncompromising style soon bred internal and public resistance. Critics argued he misunderstood the function and importance of many federal agencies. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, gutted within weeks, had overseen millions in restitutions to citizens. USAID and other foreign aid agencies saw their funding collapse, sparking diplomatic concern.

Controversy deepened when reports emerged of DOGE staffers accessing classified networks containing nuclear and national security data without clearance. Whistleblowers within DOGE warned that Musk’s team included tech-savvy but policy-ignorant loyalists who lacked the expertise or clearance to make consequential decisions.

By March, over 20 high-ranking federal civil servants had resigned in protest. Harvard Law’s Laurence Tribe publicly declared DOGE’s actions to be in violation of long-standing constitutional checks and balances. Lawsuits began stacking up, and even President Trump’s inner circle began to waver.

Musk was quietly reassigned to an advisory role, and DOGE’s aggressive mandate was frozen. Once hailed as a potential hero of American efficiency, Musk was now blamed for governmental chaos, morale collapse among federal workers, and eroding public trust.

The Aftermath and Public Perception

In parallel with his DOGE downfall, Musk’s other ventures suffered. Tesla’s stock price dipped to a 3-year low, while SpaceX postponed two major missions. His diminished presence in the companies he once obsessively managed raised concerns among investors.

Supporters of DOGE claim the backlash was orchestrated by bureaucrats resistant to change. They argue Musk was punished not for incompetence but for threatening entrenched power. Others insist his methods, while bold, were naïve, disconnected from the human and institutional complexities of governance.

Did Musk quit DOGE? Not formally. But the man who once promised to sleep in his DOGE quarters and “fix the system” has faded from its helm. In government records, he remains a Special Advisor. In public consciousness, his tenure feels more like a cautionary episode in Silicon Valley hubris.

The Republican Perspective and Public Debate

Among Republicans, particularly fiscal conservatives and populist wings, Musk’s approach to DOGE was seen as a breath of fresh air in Washington. He was hailed as an outsider unafraid to make tough decisions that career bureaucrats avoided.

House Majority Leader Jim Jordan said:
“Elon Musk brought a much-needed dose of accountability. For years, we’ve poured money into useless programs. DOGE finally said, ‘No more.’”

Supporters argue that DOGE began a cultural shift in government thinking—one that prioritized ROI, performance metrics, and personal responsibility. Conservative media outlets called Musk “the right man for a broken system.”

Musk, in his final DOGE press conference, simply said:
“You can’t fix a machine if people scream every time you open the hood. We found problems. We fixed some. Others didn’t want to be fixed.”

In parallel with his DOGE downfall, Musk’s other ventures suffered. Tesla’s stock price dipped to a 3-year low, while SpaceX postponed two major missions. His diminished presence in the companies he once obsessively managed raised concerns among investors.

Supporters of DOGE claim the backlash was orchestrated by bureaucrats resistant to change. They argue Musk was punished not for incompetence but for threatening entrenched power. Others insist his methods, while bold, were naïve, disconnected from the human and institutional complexities of governance.

This article is part of 3 Narratives. Two sides. One story. You make the third.

Further Reading:

• The Real Reason DOGE Failed Isn’t What You Think – Vox
• DOGE Goons Access Classified Network – Daily Beast
• Federal Tech Staffers Resign Rather Than Help Musk – TIME
• Elon Musk’s Gutting of US Agencies Is Illegal, Experts Say – The Guardian