By February 2026, it became clear that Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency was one of the biggest broken promises of the Trump administration. Musk had pledged DOGE would identify $2 trillion in government waste and savings. DOGE's own website now claims $215 billion — just over 10% of the promise. And multiple independent analyses found that even the $215 billion figure was overstated and miscalculated.
Worse yet, Congress largely rejected the spending cuts Trump and DOGE proposed. The Washington Times reported that the 2026 budget bills Congress just approved actually increased spending from 2025, with most funding held flat or increased. The grand vision of a lean, efficient government was dead on arrival in the legislature.
Musk had already departed the administration after a public feud with Trump and his “big, beautiful bill.” His departure left behind a trail of fired federal workers, dismantled agencies, compromised data systems, and lawsuits — but almost none of the promised savings.
Meanwhile, courts continued ordering the administration to release DOGE employee names, Musk's phone records, and details about USAID's dissolution. A New York judge forced disclosure of DOGE employee and contractor names. A Maryland judge ruled Musk cannot be shielded from questions about USAID. A Washington judge ordered the Justice Department to investigate phone numbers Musk may have used for official business.
DOGE was sold as government efficiency. It delivered chaos, legal liability, and a fraction of the savings promised.