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.
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.
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 
.
. 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? 
. 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? 
meanwhile, Elon Musk just got a free pass to become a meme 
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? 
. 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 
But when reality set in, the harsh truth was too much for some to handle 
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'm kinda sad to hear that Elon Musk's DOGE is gone 
. But at the same time, I don't want to jump to conclusions or demonize anyone 
. What do you guys think? 
this is crazy! i'm literally shocked that elon's doge program got shut down 
why did trump not support it? didn't he know how much good it could've done? 
but for now, it feels like a huge loss 
and yeah, it is interesting that florida governor desantis was all bent outta shape about it 
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 
that's what i find most striking about this whole story 
and powerful people didn't want their power to be threatened 
.
. Those 600k deaths under USAID's chopping block are straight up crazy 
. 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 mean, 600k people are dead because of it... that's just insane 
. 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 
.
. 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 
.