Is DOGE shutting down? Donald Trump shares what could happen if Elon Musk steps down

US president Donald Trump has given a hint as to whether the government department DOGE, headed by Elon Musk, will close if he steps down next month.

The controversial so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) – an unofficial department of the US government – was created when Trump took office and signed an executive order with the aim of cutting $1 trillion in government spending.

DOGE operates as an advisory body and is helmed by tech billionaire and Trump’s right-hand man Musk, who has overseen the slashing of thousands of federal workers’ jobs and funding.

But, after Musk hinted that he may step down when his 130-day term as a “special government employee” comes to an end, Trump has issued an update on the future of DOGE, post-Musk.

When asked by a reporter if DOGE will keep operating without him, Trump said: “Well, I can’t tell you that. I can say this, that a lot of the people working with DOGE are the secretaries, the heads of the various agencies, and they’ve learned a lot.”

“They’re dealing with the DOGE people," Trump continued. “I think some of them may try and keep the DOGE people with them, but you know, at a certain point, I think it will end.”

The actions of DOGE and Musk have sparked widespread controversy.

The department sent a “cruel and disrespectful” to all federal employees over a weekend asking what they had achieved in the last week, and which threatened them with being let go if they failed to respond.

Additionally, the department is being sued amid a challenge over the granting of unprecedented access to sensitive personal and financial data of millions of American citizens through government data systems.

Musk’s actions have seen the rise of a protest movement against his electric car company Tesla, with some Tesla owners “rebranding” their own cars to avoid vandalism.

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