[5] The organization was created to "modernize federal technology and software to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity" by an executive order by President Donald Trump on January 20, 2025,[6][4] and is scheduled to end on July 4, 2026.

[24] Musk was the largest donor in the 2024 United States presidential election spending over US$290 million in support of Trump and other Republicans, primarily in the final five weeks of the campaign, in order to hold influence in the new administration.

[52][53] In December 2024, Ernst proposed a bill dubbed "Drain the Swamp Act", which would require each executive agency to relocate at least 30 percent of employees working at Washington, D.C., headquarters to offices located outside of the D.C. metro area; while also restricting the ability to telework.

[59] Several Democrats have expressed support and willingness to work with DOGE, including representatives Moskowitz (D-FL) and Ro Khanna (D-CA),[57] Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY),[57] and Rep. Val Hoyle (D-OR).

While supporters advocate for increased efficiency and fiscal responsibility, critics express skepticism regarding the feasibility of achieving significant budget cuts without affecting essential services.

[68] On November 14, 2024, on social media, Musk called for individuals who were interested in working for the organization to send their resumes to DOGE's X account via direct messaging (DM).

[77][78] On February 6, The Wall Street Journal reported that Marko Elez had resigned from his role "after he was linked to a deleted social-media account that advocated racism and eugenics"[79] — having written that "I would not mind at all if Gaza and Israel were both wiped off the face of the Earth" in June 2024; "Just for the record, I was racist before it was cool" in July; and "You could not pay me to marry outside of my ethnicity" and "Normalize Indian hate" in September.

[93] Gavin Kliger, aged 25, previously reposted a social media post written by Nick Fuentes that mocked interracial families, and published an article titled "Why DOGE: Why I Gave Up a Seven-Figure Salary to Save America", which was hidden behind a $1,000 per month paywall and had no content.

[17] On February 3, interim United States Attorney for the District of Columbia Ed Martin released a statement saying that "certain individuals and/or groups have committed acts that appear to violate the law in targeting DOGE employees" and noted that "prosecutors" were "preparing".

[101][128] Concerns have been raised about his amplification of extremist viewpoints including reposting content from white supremacist Nick Fuentes and misogynistic social media influencer Andrew Tate.

[168] Wired reported that the top ranks of the human resources-focused United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM) had been filled by new hires who had formerly worked for either Elon Musk; Peter Thiel of Palantir Technologies, a United States Department of Defense contractor; Republican politicians or right-wing media outlets, while Musk's allies were installed into the technology-focused General Services Administration and planned massive spending cuts.

[175] A Washington Post article published in 2014 reported that at an underground limestone mine in Boyers, Pennsylvania, contained the retirement paperwork of federal employees that was processed by hand and stored in cardboard boxes.

[178] The United States Digital Service was previously subject to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) transparency laws in a government reporting chain through the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

[181] The Wall Street Journal reported on February 5 that DOGE had gained access to key payment and contracting systems at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

[190][189] ABC also reported that operatives were also looking for anything connected to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) on bulletin boards and were inspecting bathroom signs to ensure compliance with Trump's executive orders.

Elez resigned on February 6 after The Wall Street Journal reported on deleted social media posts where he explicitly identified himself as a racist and advocated for eugenics and against inter-ethnic marriage.

[211] A coalition of nineteen states, mostly Democratic-led, filed suit in a Manhattan federal court on February 7 seeking to stop DOGE from accessing the payments system.

[213] Musk has been sharply critical of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), characterizing it as a "criminal organization", a "viper's nest of radical-left marxists who hate America", and "evil".

[218][219][220] As an ex-USAID worked describes: "In a matter of hours DOGE shut down our websites, took over email handles, and summarily removed the system access of hundreds of gainfully employed public servants.

"[223] On February 11, Musk incited Republican outrage by posting on X about Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding of migrant shelter hotels in New York City.

The next day, homeland security secretary Kristi Noem said she had "clawed back the full payment that FEMA deep state activists unilaterally gave to NYC migrant hotels".

[224][225][226] In September 2024, Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JPMorgan Chase, the largest American bank, stated that he supported the idea of creating DOGE to improve government competency.

[229] On January 10, 2025, 26 Republican state governors wrote a joint letter to leaders of Congress expressing, "overwhelming support for President Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)".

[64] In November 2024, Politico reported on growing concern from the tech world and several policy experts that the project was over-promising or could potentially tear down "much of the essential infrastructure that ushers along American innovation".

According to chief economist Mark Zandi of Moody's, the 30% of the federal budget that is non-discretionary is at the lowest level in modern history as a percentage of GDP, and that even finding $200 billion of savings was highly unlikely.

[242] Author Jeet Heer argued in The Nation that the actions of DOGE were a "time-honored revolutionary tactic of developing dual power in order to seize control" and constituted a coup.

Murray stated that Musk was an "unelected, unaccountable billionaire with expansive conflicts of interest, deep ties to China" and accused him of hijacking the nation's financial systems and its ability to pay.

[262][263] On February 7, nineteen state attorneys general, largely the same from the Rhode Island federal case, filed suit[c] in the Southern District of New York over DOGE's actions within the Bureau of the Fiscal Service (BFS).

[264] In the early morning on February 8, Judge Paul A. Engelmayer, appointed by Obama, issued a preliminary injunction barring DOGE members from accessing Treasury data and ordering all existing unauthorized copies to be deleted immediately.

[283] The judge, Trump-appointed Carl J. Nichols, issued a temporary restraining order on February 7 against imminent plans for 2,200 employees to be placed on administrative leave and for overseas USAID workers to return to the US.