In a dramatic upheaval, Doge, a controversial tech initiative, has significantly dismantled government services and humanitarian aid across the United States. The unprecedented move has raised the hackles of federal agencies and international experts alike. Consequently, the impacts of these cuts are beginning to come to light. Musk recently resigned from his doghouse roost in the Trump administration. His departure has created a turbulent atmosphere that grapples with a severe leadership vacuum as to how the department will operate going forward.
Doge’s savage budget cuts – said to total around $140 billion – have gone after key community programs and partnerships. Perhaps most famously, the initiative has eliminated the tech group 18F. This group used to be the ones with the federal partners to provide creative tech solutions to technology problems. These measures have greatly affected agencies like the Social Security Administration and the Federal Aviation Administration. The doge staffers in question have completely assimilated into these organizations. What’s happened to the future of services once provided by these agencies?
Dismantling Vital Services
Doge’s cuts threaten to devastate humanitarian efforts. They especially impact the USAID program Pepfar, which has been key in coordinating the U.S. response to HIV/AIDS. As a result of these actions, the U.S. has withdrawn from or canceled approximately 83% of USAID programs. This puts at risk crucial programs that prioritize disease prevention, humanitarian assistance, and long-term global health security. This disruption has deeply troubling implications. Just a few months later, researchers began to tout another anti-HIV drug as the next “miracle” treatment.
After having had a chance to study them, experts have roundly condemned these cuts. Opponents claim that Doge’s approach gets it completely wrong on the complexities of how government works. Lindsay Young, the former director of 18F, highlighted the challenge of doing public service work well. She shined a light on obstacles, such as drastic budget cuts.
“You don’t need that many people to decide to just cut things,” – Lindsay Young
Her observations expose what could be the far-reaching effects on government functionality. Agencies continue to suffer as they continue to truly adjust to resource deprivation and lowered stated abilities.
A Chaotic Transition
With Musk’s departure from a formal role in the Trump administration, Doge’s impact on government operations has entered an uncertain phase. The initiative’s original pitch was a promise to save $2 trillion. It intended to do so by cutting out waste and fraud and streamlining government software. Critics say that this rosy, ambitious vision has morphed into a disjointed strategy without a focused plan to turn that vision into reality.
Given the chance, Doge’s staff is still in a position to do more. This raises a host of questions about their understanding of what the public service actually needs. The lack of an established plan has put the majority of agencies in a state of limbo. The people on staff have access to huge amounts of sensitive data, which leads to troubling questions of oversight and accountability.
Russ Vought, the former Director of the Office of Management and Budget under Trump, expressed his concern. He’s especially alarmed at how Doge’s cuts are impacting the federal workforce. He lamented that countless Americans are stuck “in trauma.” In a powerful moment, he described the personal impact these drastic shifts have had on public servants.
The Road Ahead
As Doge’s cuts play out, the future grows more uncertain for many government programs. There is no clear or transparent strategy for how the ill-equipped remnant staff will preserve or improve upon services that have already suffered. The threat of a total shutdown of key programs is a real, immediate threat that will further exacerbate the already encumbered system.
Lindsay Young, who serves on Gov. While advancing technology is surely a simplification of any process, she underscores that the pursuit of better public services is far more complex.
“But if you actually want to build things, that takes thought. It takes effort.” – Lindsay Young
This feeling wraps up the larger issue at play for Doge as he wrestles with his own personal and political dogma of changing how government works.