DOGE denies Reuters claim that the agency no longer exists

The U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) rejected a Reuters report claiming the agency has shut down, calling it “fake news” in a statement posted on Monday.

“As usual, this is fake news from Reuters,” DOGE said in a social media post. “President Trump was given a mandate by the American people to modernize the federal government and reduce waste, fraud and abuse. Just last week, DOGE terminated 78 wasteful contracts and saved taxpayers $335M.”

The response followed a Reuters report published on Sunday that said DOGE had effectively disbanded eight months before the end of its mandate.

According to Reuters, Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Director Scott Kupor told the outlet earlier this month that DOGE “doesn’t exist” as a centralized entity and that many of its responsibilities have been absorbed by the OPM.

Elon Musk initially led DOGE when President Trump created the unit at the start of his second term. Musk played a prominent public role in promoting DOGE’s mission to cut federal regulations and reduce government staffing.

Musk’s involvement with DOGE ended after a public feud with President Trump in May.

Reuters also reported that Trump administration officials have spoken about DOGE in the past tense in recent months, even though an earlier executive order directed the agency to operate through July 2026.

The report said a government-wide hiring freeze linked to DOGE had ended and that several of the unit’s early actions were no longer in effect.

The Department of Government Efficiency did not provide additional details in its statement. It said it will release further information in its scheduled update later this week.