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(NewsNation) — Much like the Trump administration, the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, has shaken up the political world in its first 100 days.
President Trump initially tapped Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk to lead DOGE, but both have since stepped back, with Ramaswamy removing himself altogether in January.
The department has made cuts to various government agencies, which followed Trump’s promises during his presidential campaign.
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What cuts did DOGE make?
According to the DOGE website, it has saved an estimated $160 billion, equating to $993.79 saved per taxpayer, at the time of writing. However, critics have argued that the savings are much less than claimed.
Per its “Agency Efficiency Leaderboard,” DOGE has saved the most in the Department of Health and Human Services, the General Services Administration, the Department of Education, the Department of Labor and the Office of Personnel Management.
DOGE has made cuts across a raft of agencies, including national parks and community service programs, while some, such as Yellowstone, remain unaffected.
Thousands of HHS employees were laid off, resulting in a suspension of a milk quality testing program.
DOGE has floated the idea of stimulus checks for Americans thanks to the reported savings made by the department; however, that could be some time down the line.
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It also shuttered USAID, though a federal judge ruled in March that DOGE likely used unconstitutional authority in doing so.
In U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang’s ruling, DOGE was ordered to reinstate system and email access to USAID employees and ruled in favor of present and former USAID workers to “delay a premature, final shutdown” amid litigation.
Various research grants have been culled, including a $699,000 grant for Ohio State researchers examining cannabis use among LGBTQ+ women.
Per the Associated Press, almost $900 million in cuts were made from a federal research agency that tracked the progress of America’s students.
What happened to Musk?
Musk said last week he would be largely decreasing his involvement with DOGE to spend more time focusing on Tesla.
The car company announced a 71% drop in first-quarter profits on Apr. 22, which followed backlash, violence and protests over Musk’s role in the Trump administration.
“Starting probably in the next month, May, my time allocation to DOGE will drop significantly,” Musk said on the investments call last week.
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“So I think I’ll continue to spend a day or two per week on government matters for as long as the president would like me to do so,” he added.
May 30 is the end of Musk’s “special government employee” status, and dozens of Democratic lawmakers called on Trump earlier this month to confirm Musk will leave his role in the administration by that date.
