What is Doge and why Musk cuts so much work?

A new consulting agency founded by U.S. President Donald Trump, led by the world’s wealthiest people, is responsible for cutting U.S. government work and other spending.

Elon Musk is leading the effort to significantly reduce the federal labor force and remove what he believes taxpayers’ money is wasted.

But his Ministry of Government Efficiency (DOGE) encountered legal obstacles, allegations of conflict of interest and feared serious damage.

Musk explained his actions to Oval Office reporters, defending his plans and denying the claims of rival Democrats, who embodies “hostile takeover” to the administration.

Polls show that cutting government spending has received widespread support.

Despite its full name, Doge is not an official government department and must be determined by the Congress bill.

Instead, it executes one of the orders through Trump’s president and serves as a consulting agency with at least four employees dedicated to each government agency.

The command says part of the Doge task is related to IT upgrades designed to improve efficiency. It must complete its work by July 2026.

Many of Doge’s employees seem to be young people with technical backgrounds. Among them is an employee who resigned after being linked to a racist social media account, Who musk vows to releas?.

Yes. Although Musk initially said he would take on the role of an outside volunteer, the White House later said he was working as an unpaid special government employee.

The name is formally defined as a case where 130 days or less of a year are working for the government.

For some supporters of this new agency, Doge’s outsider status and its somewhat vague task – would be a benefit.

North Dakota Republican Senator Kevin Cramer told the BBC that they are even more unpopular with the bureaucracy itself and the system that slows down here. “I think the lack of parameters is part of making them valid. ”

Musk said its mission is to save taxpayers’ funds and reduce U.S. national debt, which is 36TN (28.9tn).

Initially, he said he hoped to save up to $2 a year, but later restrained that estimate.

Musk said he wanted to end the “bureaucratic tyranny” that he called the fourth branch of the administration, opposing Trump’s agenda. Critics of his work see simpler ideological motivations.

Douglas Holtz-Eakin, former Republican director of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), told Reuters News that he Say: “They are not going to be in an institution they are doing.

It’s unclear so far Doge’s X accounts have regularly celebrated what they said, but it’s unclear how much money has been so far. The actions in which its title production include:

• DOGE representatives enter various departments to monitor expenditures. Trump said they have identified “fraud and abuse” without providing evidence
• As part of the war on “wake up” policy, Musk said his team “save taxpayers more than $1 billion in crazy dei (diversity, equity and inclusion) contracts.”
• USAID, the leading foreign aid organization that brings the axe to the United States
• Offer offers to 2 million government employees in an attempt to cut the size of the federal labor force
• Attempts to control the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and may close it. This is for the purpose of protecting consumers after the 2007-2008 financial crisis, but is accused by Republicans

A poll by BBC’s U.S. partner CBS News shows that Doge enjoys broad support.

This shows that most Americans, especially Republican voters, also support their work, even if they disagree with how much impact Musk should have on themselves.

The permanent workforce is currently over 2 million, with one of the biggest increases being in 2023, partly due to the significant investments made by the Biden administration in infrastructure projects.

David Ditch, senior analyst at the Center for Economic Policy Innovation, a conservative think tank, said Doge’s work is needed.

“They have a very bright spotlight in every part of the federal government, and they ask if they are the American public, if they are moderate members of the Republican caucus – is that how do you want to use U.S. taxes?”

Political opponents and government regulators accuse Taoist of acting without transparency and spreading misinformation about government spending – and accusing Musk of going beyond his power as an unelected official.

Critics highlight Musk’s potential conflict of interest given his billion-dollar contract with the U.S. government. Trump and Musk denied that any problems would arise.

Several groups, including unions and state attorney generals, have sued the Governor and the wider Trump administration and accused them of tampering with funds approved by Congress, which approved the president’s scope. The White House denied that the work had violated any law.

Several times, the court has stepped in to stop the cost-cutting move, at least directly blocking Doge when the judge blocks the agency from accessing personal data held in the U.S. Treasury Department records.

Speaking to Oval Office reporters, Musk said he wanted to review his work, but insisted that Americans have voted for “common sense” government reform.

But Pundits questioned whether he could make his bold promise.

Elaine Kamark, a senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution, told the BBC that efforts to simplify government spending “can be done”, highlighting her for Bill Clinton in the 1990s ) The President’s work.

But she tagged Musk’s idea of ​​cutting government spending “ridiculous” because much of the budget is mandatory, including popular programs such as Social Security and Medicare.

Other reports by Jessica Parker and CAI Pigliucci