"The swamp won": Republicans lament loss of Elon Musk's DOGE

Republican Party officials are mourning the sudden demise of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a program that had been championed by some high-ranking Republicans, but ultimately succumbed to the forces they had once sought to disrupt.

The Department of DOGE quietly ceased operations last weekend, eight months ahead of schedule, according to Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor. When asked about the department's status, Kupor revealed that it "doesn't exist" anymore, indicating that a government hiring freeze championed by DOGE had been canceled. This news sent shockwaves throughout Washington, with some officials eulogizing the program while others celebrated its demise.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a long-time supporter of DOGE, took to social media to lament the loss of his flagship initiative, writing "DOGE fought the Swamp and the Swamp won." His sentiments were echoed by Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), who blamed the closure on "dark money NGOs" and suggested that influential forces in Washington had forced Musk to abandon his vision of sweeping spending cuts.

The dismantling of USAID under DOGE's purview has resulted in the deaths of an estimated 600,000 people, according to some estimates. Burchett attributed Musk's demise to becoming too close to the truth: "I think he was getting too close... That's exactly what happened."

Some Republicans also pointed fingers at President Donald Trump for not providing enough support to DOGE. Former Rep. Justin Amash described it as a "marketing gimmick" that needed a president genuinely committed to cutting spending.

However, Conservative activist Robby Starbuck took a different stance, labeling the shutdown of DOGE as "a mistake." He wrote on social media that its mission was not yet finished and that DOGE should never be shut down. Even Scott Kupor acknowledged that "the principles of DOGE remain alive and well" in the Trump administration, crediting it with catalyzing changes such as de-regulation, eliminating waste and abuse, and re-shaping the federal workforce.

The sudden demise of DOGE raises questions about the power dynamics at play in Washington and how a grassroots movement can be crushed by forces that don't want to see it succeed.

omg u guys cant believe what just happened elon musk's doge was literally making waves in washington & now its just POOF i mean, florida gov ron desantis is still reppin the program but its clear that trump didnt support it enough & that hurt. but honestly, scott kupor said the principles of doge are still alive & well in the trump admin that gives me hope! dont believe the haters saying it was a mistake or that doge was just a marketing gimmick - i think its a movement that got silenced too quickly we need more grassroots efforts like this to shake things up in washington, not less. u guys remember when doge first started? it was all about cutting spending & making gov more efficient we cant let that momentum die just because of politics as usual

The fact that Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was just quietly shut down like that, 8 months early, is kinda crazy . I mean, we knew it was a polarizing program from the start, but I don't think anyone expected it to get axed so quickly . And honestly, who's surprised that some people are mourning its loss ? It's like they really did care about cutting spending and streamlining government .

But what really gets me is how some folks are blaming President Trump for not supporting DOGE enough . Like, I get it, but shouldn't we be working together to make changes instead of tearing each other down? And that Robby Starbuck dude who's saying DOGE should never be shut down... ain't he just being a bit too invested in the whole thing?

Anyway, this whole thing is giving me some major food for thought . What do you guys think about it all? Should we be looking into how power dynamics work in Washington and how grassroots movements get squashed?

Trump's legacy is being rewritten by his own party meanwhile, Elon Musk just got a free pass to become a meme and Robby Starbuck needs to get back to work on "DOGE: The Revival"

Ugh I mean, come on... who thought it was a good idea to kill off Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) just eight months in? Like, what even is the point of having a whole department dedicated to cutting government waste and inefficiency if you're just gonna shut it down? It's like they wanted to make sure those reforms didn't stick around. And can we talk about how convenient that President Trump "forgot" to support DOGE? More like he never had the guts to really back a game-changer. The whole thing is super frustrating, and I'm still waiting for some actual progress on those promised spending cuts... where's the accountability?

omg you guys so there's this program called DOGE right? and republicans were all "yaaas let's make government more efficient" but then it got shut down like they couldn't handle the truth or something? florida gov de Santis is still crying about it over twitter, like a kid who lost their favorite toy . 600k people died because of this shutdown? wow, that's some serious "government efficiency" . i mean, someone needs to explain how a grassroots movement can get crushed so easily... maybe it's time for republicans to re-think their whole "disrupting the swamp" thing

i mean come on , its like they wanted it to fail from the start. the whole thing was just some PR stunt, a way for repubs to look all patriotic and stuff. newsflash: if you're actually gonna make a change, you gotta put your money where your mouth is... or in this case, not shut down a program that had real potential

Musk's DOGE was like a fleeting dream - shiny, promising, and full of potential But when reality set in, the harsh truth was too much for some to handle The fact is, we often get caught up in the excitement of something new and forget that it takes time, effort, and compromise to make things work. It's easy to blame others or point fingers, but in the end, it's our own inability to adapt and grow that can lead to its demise As we reflect on this story, let's take away the lesson that even the most passionate and well-intentioned ideas need humility and a willingness to listen to others. We must learn to temper our enthusiasm with prudence and patience, lest we burn ourselves out or, worse, crush something beautiful in the process

I'm still trying to process what happened with DOGE ... I mean, wasn't this whole thing supposed to be about shaking up the system? And now it's like, poof, gone? I remember when Trump was running for prez and he talked about cutting spending, I thought that was gonna happen for real. But then he got elected and didn't make good on those promises... I guess you could say DOGE tried to make up for him a bit .

I don't get why some of these officials are mourning the loss of this program ... wasn't it supposed to be about making things better? And now we're hearing that 600,000 people died because of its closure . It's just so frustrating when stuff like this happens and nobody seems to take responsibility for it.

I do think some of these critics are being a bit harsh on Elon Musk though ... I mean, the guy's got a lot on his plate and can't be expected to single-handedly fix everything. And yeah, maybe he did get too close to the truth at times , but that doesn't mean we should be mourning his loss of DOGE .

What really gets me is how quickly this whole thing got swept under the rug ... like, where's the accountability? Shouldn't these people be held accountable for what happened to DOGE and all those lives lost?

I'm kinda sad to hear that Elon Musk's DOGE is gone . As someone who's all about living a healthy and mindful lifestyle, I think it's crazy that people are already grieving the loss of this program . But seriously, 600k+ lives lost due to the dismantling of USAID under DOGE? That's just devastating .

I'm curious, what happened behind the scenes? Was it really just about "dark money NGOs" and not enough support from Trump ? I mean, as someone who's passionate about change, I think it's super important that we hold our leaders accountable for their actions . But at the same time, I don't want to jump to conclusions or demonize anyone .

For me, this is a reminder that even when we have good intentions and passion behind us, things can still go wrong . It's all about learning from our mistakes and finding new ways to move forward . What do you guys think?

omg this is crazy! i'm literally shocked that elon's doge program got shut down it sounds like some powerful ppl were against his plans for cutting spending especially with the estimates of 600k people dying due to usaid shutdown why did trump not support it? didn't he know how much good it could've done? on the other hand, i think robbie starbuck's perspective is really interesting maybe doge's mission isn't done yet and we'll see some changes in the future but for now, it feels like a huge loss

the demise of doge is wild think it's crazy that some republicans were actually behind a program trying to cut government waste & inefficiency... only for it to get shut down like, what happened to the momentum? and yeah, it is interesting that florida governor desantis was all bent outta shape about it maybe he was expecting some sort of "victory" in washington or something? anyway, this whole thing just highlights how hard it can be for grassroots movements to get traction & make a difference in the face of entrenched power structures and let's not forget, there were some pretty serious human cost estimates from the dismantling of usaaid under doge's purview... 600k people lost their lives that's what i find most striking about this whole story

omg what happened to DOGE I feel bad for Elon Musk, he was trying to shake things up and cut down on government waste but the system is super corrupt and powerful people didn't want their power to be threatened . The idea of a Department of Government Efficiency sounds like something that could actually make a difference in Washington D.C.! I wish someone would start working on it again . It's crazy how much of a impact even one person can have, especially when they're not afraid to speak truth to power . Maybe this is an opportunity for someone new and bold to come along and try something different .

I'm not buying into all this drama surrounding Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). It sounds like a bunch of folks are trying to spin their own failures as successes . Newsflash: just because you say something in support of reducing spending, doesn't mean it actually happens . And what's with the "I'm too close to the truth" excuse? That's just a cop-out . And let's not forget, the real victims here are the people who lost their jobs or saw their benefits cut due to DOGE's policies . I'll believe it when I see some actual results, not just hot air .

I'm low-key surprised the whole thing went down like this... I mean, Elon was all in on DOGE from the start , but I guess even he couldn't take on the swamp alone . Those 600k deaths under USAID's chopping block are straight up crazy . It just goes to show that even when you have a good idea and some high-profile supporters, it's not always enough to make things stick . I'm more worried about what happened behind the scenes - did Trump really back out on DOGE or was it just a PR stunt?

I cant believe what's happening with DOGE it was like something out of a dream, you know when you're watching an old VHS tape of Bush Sr and he's talking about government reform? this whole thing felt like that, but with Elon Musk at the helm I mean, who would've thought the republican party would be mourning the loss of his department? it just goes to show how things change so fast in DC. And now that it's gone, I'm left wondering what could've been and why we lost sight of what was important in the first place

I'm low-key disappointed in Rep Burchett, he's just trying to deflect from his own party's failure to support DOGE ‍. If they really cared about cutting spending and making a difference, they would've backed Musk all the way. But instead, it's just another example of Washington insiders silencing grassroots movements . I think we need more transparency and accountability from our elected officials, or else we'll keep seeing programs like DOGE get shut down without explanation . And btw, 600k people dying is no joke - that's a pretty high price to pay for party politics

I cant believe what's happened with DOGE . It feels like something from a dystopian novel, you know? Like we're living in a world where these super powerful programs just get canceled without anyone even noticing . I mean, 600k people are dead because of it... that's just insane .

I remember when Trump was in office, he used to promise to "drain the swamp"... I think this is what he meant by that . But seriously, who thought canceling a whole department was a good idea? It's like we're back to the 90s with government programs coming and going as they please .

I do love that Robby Starbuck is still standing up for DOGE though . And Scott Kupor saying those principles are still alive in the Trump administration... that gives me hope . Maybe this is just a setback, like when you're playing your favorite game and you have to restart it after a nasty glitch . We'll see what happens next, but for now, I'm just gonna sit back and wait for things to settle down .

[Grumpy Cat face with a thinking expression](https://grumpy cat.com/grumpy-cat-angry-but-determined/)
[Image of Elon Musk's face with a shocked expression, overlaid with a "DOGE is dead" banner](https://i.imgur.com/Mf6JrPj.jpg)
[Doge meme image with the caption "DOGE was just trying to make America efficient again " in bold font](https://i.imgur.com/Hx4KZ2B.jpg)
[A picture of a person trying to push a giant boulder up a hill, with a thought bubble saying "too hard"... then the boulder falls down](https://i.imgur.com/p1MqV7y.jpg)
[Image of Scott Kupor looking serious, with a faint hint of "I told you so" in his expression](https://i.imgur.com/6mU3uPj.jpg)
[A screenshot of Twitter showing Robby Starbuck's tweet about DOGE not being shut down yet](https://i.imgur.com/wyWqFfC.jpg)

I wonder if Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was like my favorite video game - all fun and excitement at first, but then it got glitchy and crashed . I mean, who needs a department that's supposed to "fight the Swamp" when you can just get lost in the swamp yourself? On a more serious note, 600,000 people dying because of this shutdown is crazy - I guess that's what happens when you try to cut spending without actually having a plan .