The Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, launched with fanfare as a flagship initiative of Donald Trump’s second term, has quietly been disbanded, eight months before its scheduled end. Meant to streamline federal agencies and cut waste, DOGE instead became synonymous with confusion, strange overseas contracts, and massive public spending that delivered little measurable savings. DOGE’s Short-Lived Ambitions and Rapid Rise Created in January, DOGE made a dramatic entrance into Washington with a promise to shrink federal agencies and redirect resources toward Trump priorities. It gained early attention for aggressive budget cuts, sudden layoffs, and the unusual spectacle of staff sleeping at headquarters to execute the mandate. Despite the publicity, the Office of Personnel Management has since absorbed many of DOGE’s functions. Scott Kupor, OPM Director, confirmed the department no longer exists as a centralised entity. Documents reviewed by Reuters indicate that at least two DOGE employees moved to the newly established National Design Studio, an office tasked with redesigning federal websites under the leadership of Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia. Former DOGE staffers reportedly feared legal repercussions from the abrupt job cuts and radical reforms, further clouding the agency’s legacy. By May, over 200, 000 federal workers had been laid off or taken buyouts, with claims of billions in supposed savings remaining unverified due to a lack of transparent accounting. Questionable Contracts and Overseas Spending DOGE’s termination also revealed some puzzling contract choices. In a recent tweet, the department announced that nine days of audits had resulted in 78 terminated or descoped contracts with a ceiling value of £1. 6 billion ($1. 9 billion), claiming £283 million ($335 million) in savings. Among the contracts cut were a £508, 000 ($616,000) HHS IT subscription for social media monitoring, a £158, 000 ($191, 000) USAGM broadcasting deal for operations in Ethiopia, and a £3. 6 million ($4. 3 million) IRS IT project to support Inflation Reduction Act transformation. Many observers questioned the purpose of these contracts in the first place and why taxpayer dollars were committed without public oversight. Additionally, the Trump administration confirmed that millions of taxpayer dollars had been used to fund subscriptions to media outlets such as Politico. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, ‘The more than eight million taxpayer dollars that have gone to essentially subsidising subscriptions to Politico on the American taxpayer’s dime will no longer be happening.’ Conservative circles immediately seized on these revelations, digging through USAspending. gov for further examples of government-paid media subscriptions. Media Reactions and Public Backlash The programme attracted widespread criticism for targeting government transparency. Elon Musk, who once lauded the department, described DOGE as ‘transparent’ despite reports that agents often refused to identify themselves and slashed agency budgets without consultation. Analysts highlighted that the costs of operating DOGE, combined with its questionable contracts, far outweighed any purported savings. Some estimates suggest hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars were impacted, while certain essential government services and public health initiatives were disrupted. Former employees and insiders suggested Musk later regretted some of the decisions, attributing mismanagement to the chaotic environment and high-stakes political pressure. The Legacy of DOGE and the Road Ahead With DOGE now officially disbanded, the Department of Government Efficiency will be remembered more for its bewildering mix of bizarre subscriptions, overseas contracts, and controversial job cuts than for delivering any meaningful cost reductions. Questions remain about who authorised the original £1. 6 billion ($1. 9 billion) expenditure and whether accountability measures will ever be implemented. As OPM takes over remaining functions, Washington faces the challenge of reconciling the disruption left in DOGE’s wake. The episode is a reminder that efficiency is not simply a policy goal; it is a meticulous, fully accountable process. Otherwise, even well-intentioned reforms can spiral into expensive, chaotic, and controversial initiatives.
https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/white-house-scraps-doge-bizarre-subscriptions-weird-overseas-contracts-draining-public-funds-1757557