Musk’s 130-Day DOGE Tenure: Hits and Misses

May 30, 2025 Komal Das Off-white Banner

Elon Musk steps down as head of Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) after 130 days Public debate questions DOGE’s true impact

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DOGE was created on Jan 20, 2025, to modernize federal operations, cut waste, and reduce bureaucracy

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Musk led DOGE as a special government employee for 180 days Promised to slash \$2 trillion from federal spending

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DOGE claimed \$150-\$160 billion savings by April Cutting diversity contracts, foreign aid, staff, and fraud

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Over 2 million government employees offered voluntary buyouts Musk said federal workforce cut by 12%, about 260,000 jobs

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Critics say only \$61.5 billion savings publicly itemized \$32.5 billion backed by documents Layoffs disrupted services, caused legal challenges

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Courts blocked some DOGE actions, citing constitutional concerns Lawsuits accuse DOGE of secrecy and bypassing Congress

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Political backlash: Democrats and Republicans criticized DOGE for overreach Musk became a lightning rod amid aggressive cuts

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Tesla investors blamed Musk’s focus on DOGE for 71% profit drop and 13% sales decline Protests and boycotts hit Tesla stores globally

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Amy Gleason named DOGE administrator but Trump called Musk the “visionary” Musk admits falling short of \$1 trillion goal due to politics

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