Donald Trump · Republican · Executive Order
Establishing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) (EO 14158)
Jan 20, 2025
Donald TrumpGovernment & WorkforceExecutive OrderEO 14158Second term (2025–)
📜 View the official record — Executive Order 14158 on federalregister.gov
What happened
Created DOGE to slash federal spending, headcount and regulation, initially led by Elon Musk. It drove mass layoffs, contract cancellations and agency restructurings through 2025.
How it happened
Established by executive order on Inauguration Day, reorganizing the U.S. Digital Service.
Documented impact
Mixed impactsubstantiated
Produced the largest peacetime federal workforce reduction on record.
From Jan 2025–Jan 2026 the federal workforce fell by ~387,000 (about 9%), including ~17,000 reductions in force.
Negative impactsubstantiated
Claimed savings are unverified and overall spending rose.
DOGE claimed ~$215B saved, but GAO and analysts could not verify the figures; Treasury data show federal outlays kept rising. Some agencies later rehired staff.
Public opinion
📊 Public opinion
Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)
Approve37%
Disapprove45%
About 45% say the cuts to federal agencies have 'gone too far.'
Sources
Every claim above links to its source. Primary record and cited reporting: