Trump signs executive order to make Musk's DOGE official

The Department of Government Effectiveness (DOGE), an advisory body in the United States headed by billionaire Elon Musk that recommends major cuts to federal agencies, may soon become more official if an executive order signed by US President Donald Trump passes legal review, TechCrunch reports, UNN writes.

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On Monday evening, Trump signed an executive order renaming the U.S. Digital Service (USDS), created in 2014 by former President Barack Obama to "change the way the government approaches technology," to the U.S. DOGE Service (USDS). 

During the executive order signing ceremony, Trump said that the USDS would have about 20 employees. Despite its name, it is not a federal executive agency that requires an act of Congress to create.

The executive order directs U.S. agency heads to consult with USDS to form "DOGE teams" of "a minimum of" four employees within their agency within 30 days. The teams will typically include a DOGE team leader, an engineer, a human resources specialist, and a lawyer, according to the executive order, and will work with USDS and the agency in which they are housed to implement Trump's DOGE plan.

In addition, the executive order establishes a "software modernization" plan to improve the government's network infrastructure and IT systems, and grants USDS access to "unclassified" agency records, software systems, and IT systems "in accordance with law.

The executive order also creates a temporary organization, the U.S. DOGE Interim Service Organization, designed to "advance [President Trump's] 18-month DOGE agenda." The organization is to cease operations on July 4, 2026.

Trump has previously stated that DOGE's work should be completed "no later than" July 4, 2026, before the Ohio gubernatorial election in November 2026.

It remains to be seen whether the order will withstand future court battles. At least three lawsuits have been filed in federal court alleging that the Musk-led DOGE is violating the transparency requirements of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), a 1972 law that requires federal advisory committees to meet in public and present "balanced" views.

Musk suggested that DOGE could help reduce the US federal budget by up to $2 trillion through measures such as cutting waste, closing unnecessary agencies, and reducing the federal workforce. However, he has since abandoned this goal, and many experts consider it unrealistic, the publication points out.

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Trump announced DOGE, which was to be co-chaired by Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, late last year. Ramaswamy has since left DOGE after reportedly clashing with Musk, and is reportedly planning to announce his candidacy for governor of Ohio next week.

According to the AP, the first order of the Department of Government Efficiency was just that: now everything has come down to one leader.

Vivek Ramaswamy is no longer part of the department, leaving billionaire Elon Musk to run it himself.

Ramaswamy, a biotechnology entrepreneur who sought the Republican Party's nomination for president in 2024, has signaled plans to run for governor of Ohio next year. 

"Vivek Ramaswamy has played a critical role in the creation of DOGE," said Hannah Kelly, a spokeswoman for the department, in a statement. - "He intends to run for elected office in the near future, which will require him to remain outside of DOGE based on the structure we announced today. We thank him for his contributions over the past 2 months and look forward to him playing an important role in making America great again.