The Department of Government Efficiency has officially dissolved after Elon Musk's chaotic exit from Washington triggered a power vacuum that tore the agency apart from within. What started as an ambitious plan to slash trillions in government spending has ended with the White House telling reporters the department "doesn't exist" anymore.
The most ambitious government efficiency project in decades just imploded spectacularly. Tesla CEO Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency - the agency that was supposed to revolutionize Washington spending - has been officially dissolved after internal warfare tore it apart from the inside.
The collapse started in April when Musk began backing away from his DOGE leadership role, citing conflicts with his Tesla responsibilities. By June, he was completely gone from DC, leaving behind what Politico describes as "significant ill will" and a dangerous power vacuum.
Musk's DC tenure was nothing short of explosive. The billionaire entrepreneur swept through Washington "with a figurative chainsaw," slashing budgets and making power grabs that angered government employees and alienated key allies like Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. The tensions reached a breaking point when Musk had a minor physical altercation with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
By late May, both DOGE and Musk had completely lost favor with President Trump. White House aides began pushing back more forcefully against the fledgling agency. When Musk received his official farewell on May 30th, the White House also pushed out his right-hand man, Steve Davis.
But Davis, an engineer who'd worked with Musk for over 20 years, simply refused to leave. He stepped in to take control, but this move didn't sit well with remaining DOGE staffers. The department essentially split in two - those loyal to Davis and those who wanted him gone.
When staffers uncomfortable with Davis's leadership tried planning DOGE's future without him, Davis accused them of staging a coup. The White House quickly identified and rooted out his loyalists, ending his brief consolidation attempt in less than two weeks.
