Topics WIRED Politics Lab politics DOGE government Elon Musk Donald Trump

Citing the end of his “scheduled time as a Special Government Employee” in a post on his social media site X, Musk added: “The DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”

Courts are trying to strike down some of DOGE’s most egregious efforts. It may seem as though the worst excesses of DOGE have passed, replaced by something closer to a stasis.

This isn’t true. Not even close.

While the image of DOGE most likely burned into your retina is that of Elon Musk wielding a literal chain saw, the theatrics belie an organization that has quietly permeated all corners of the federal government. More than that, it’s increasingly clear that its objectives are now indistinguishable from that of the broader Trump administration. Removing DOGE at this point would be like trying to remove a drop of ...