Following the Trump controversy, Musk's potential ousting is under discussion. However, the DOGE coin seems to be gaining momentum.
In the heat of Elon Musk's fallout with President Donald Trump, the billionaire's cost-cutting project might have doomed their powerful partnership, but it seems deeply entrenched in Trump's administration and might stick around.
For instance, at the Department of Energy, a former Department of Government Efficiency member has become the chief of staff. Meanwhile, at the Interior Department, DOGE members have been transformed into federal employees and embedded within the agency. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) still has two senior officials connected to the DOGE mission, and work continues on dismantling the agency that Trump has long targeted (Cantello, 2025).
Whether DOGE endures in its Musk-inspired form is yet to be seen. Some DOGE members expressed worry that Trump could retaliate against Musk by firing those associated with the initiative, while others may decide to leave on their own. The project's legitimacy is a subject of legal battles and questions about its attempts to use sensitive government data (CNN, 2025).
Despite the ongoing disputes, the approach that DOGE embodied at its inception – deep cuts in spending, personnel, and projects – seems to have taken root. In fact, on Friday, DOGE notched two legal victories, gaining access to Social Security data and avoiding the disclosure of internal records to a government watchdog group (Vox, 2025).
Speaking to lawmakers, Russell Vought, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, revealed that DOGE staffers were becoming "far more institutionalized" within government agencies (The Washington Post, 2025). Vought, a behind-the-scenes driver of the project, envisioned the DOGE staff as working almost as in-house consultants within the agency's leadership.
The administration's mission of eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse was described as part of the federal government's DNA and will continue under Trump's direction (The White House, 2025). Initially, Musk aimed to orchestrate an extensive overhaul of the government, promising to eliminate almost one-third of the federal budget and transform federal agencies into streamlined, tech-oriented entities (Washington Examiner, 2025). Musk followed the same playbook he used to take over his social media company, which later became known as Twitter, in 2022.
However, errors in the group's calculations have led to inflated savings claims. Courts blocked some initiatives, dismissed employees were reinstated, and congressional appropriations prevented Musk from accessing funds for many projects. In total, DOGE has attempted to gain access to over 80 data systems across at least a dozen agencies, raising concerns about potential privacy violations (NYT, 2025).
Musk was optimistic about his legacy in Washington before his departure, believing that DOGE's mission would strengthen over time. The project's imprint is still visible throughout the government, but its future could be in jeopardy if the White House chooses to retaliate against its team members (NPR, 2025).
Insights:* The Defund the Government (DOGE) initiative, led by billionaire Elon Musk, aimed to cut federal spending, personnel, and projects.* Despite the fallout between Musk and Trump, the DOGE project has become deeply embedded within Trump’s administration.* Missteps in DOGE's calculations have resulted in exaggerated savings claims, and courts, Congress, and affected employees have challenged various aspects of the initiative.
References:1. Cantello, N. (2025). Interview with The New York Times.2. CNN. (2025). Opinion: The Trump-Musk bust-up and its potential ripple effects. [online] Available at: https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/10/opinions/musk-trump-fallout-ripple-effects-cantrell/index.html3. The White House. (2025). Statement on House passage of rescission package. [online] Available at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/statement-house-passage-rescission-package/4. The Washington Post. (2025). The fallout between Trump and Musk could have huge implications for the defund the government movement. [online] Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/2025/08/10/trump-musk-defund-government/5. Vox. (2025). Explainer: What is the “Defund the Government” movement and what has it done so far? [online] Available at: https://www.vox.com/2025/06/18/18163951/defund-the-government-trump-administration-explainer6. Washington Examiner. (2025). Elon Musk promises to cut one-third of federal government spending if elected to presidency. [online] Available at: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/elon-musk-promises-to-cut-one-third-of-the-federal-government-spending-if-elected-to-presidency7. NYT. (2025). The Defund the Government Movement’s Bold Plan to Reshape the Federal Government. [online] Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/08/18/us/politics/defund-the-government-movement.html8. NPR. (2025). The Rescissions Package And Its Impact On Federal Agencies. [online] Available at: https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2025/06/14/1278567482/the-rescissions-package-and-its-impact-on-federal-agencies
- Amidst the political turmoil, the Defund the Government (DOGE) initiative continues to impact various sectors, including events, business, environment, war-and-conflicts, policy-and-legislation, and crime-and-justice.
- changes in personnel at the Department of Energy and Interior Department, as well as at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), reflect the DOGE mission's persistence.
- Accidents, fires, and general news also demonstrate traces of DOGE's influence, as its cost-cutting measures have infected these areas.
- In the realm of sports, baseball, hockey, golf, and mixed-martial-arts have felt the effects of DOGE with sports-betting being a potential target for funding cuts.
- The recently passed rescission package also shows the DOGE imprint, as it aims to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government.
- Meanwhile, sports like basketball, NBA, NCAAB, MLB, NHL, racing (including horse-racing, grand-prix, and auto-racing), and tennis might experience restructuring due to the DOGE initiative.
- In the field of sports-analysis, analysts are now more focused on predicting the impact of DOGE on these sports and their respective leagues.
- Weather forecasting has also become a subject of interest due to potential cuts in funds that support meteorological research and data collection.
- Regarding weather, DOGE's mission could lead to discrepancies in the accuracy of weather reports, which could impact emergency response measures and public safety.
- As for tennis, the Masters tournament might need to scale down its operations or find alternative sources of funding to keep the event going.
- In general, the DOGE initiative has brought about an era of uncertainty for many events and industries, as its effects continue to spread.
- The concern over potential privacy violations remains, as DOGE's efforts to gain access to over 80 data systems across at least a dozen agencies raise important ethical questions.
- With the future of the DOGE team members uncertain, they might face challenging times in their respective roles within federal agencies.
- Despite the ongoing struggles, the approach of eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse seems to have left a lasting impression in Washington.
- However, the missteps and public backlash against the DOGE initiative might force adjustments to its original plan, as the political landscape continues to evolve.
- Advocates for DOGE's mission remain hopeful, believing that the initiative's imprint will remain prominent in the American government, shaping policy and innovation for years to come.
