DOGE has dismissed a Reuters report claiming the agency had been disbanded as ‘fake news,’ emphasizing its continued operations and recent cost-saving initiatives. The agency, launched by President Trump, accused Reuters of spreading misinformation and highlighted its recent achievements, including saving $335M by terminating 78 wasteful contracts.
Reuters claimed in a report that DOGE had effectively disbanded eight months before its mandate expired. The report said Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor told the outlet earlier this month that DOGE ‘doesn’t exist’ as a centralized entity and that many of its functions have been absorbed by the OPM.
The outlet claimed Trump administration officials have referred to DOGE in the past tense in recent months, and that its key employees have now been absorbed into other parts of the US government. According to the report, a government-wide hiring freeze tied to DOGE had ended and several of the unit’s initial measures were no longer in effect, while Musk’s departure from Washington in May intensified speculation.
Questions about the agency’s future surfaced in June after a public feud between Musk and Trump over the president’s flagship ‘big, beautiful bill.’ Musk quit as head of DOGE and left Washington amid the dispute. Uncertainty over the department’s status had been building for months. Politico earlier reported that staff had vacated its headquarters in June, packing up ‘clothes and bedding.’ The agency had become known for unannounced office visits, deep spending cuts, and mass layoffs.