Donald Trump taking DOGE lead after Elon Musk exit
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Mandy Taheri is a Newsweek reporter based in Brooklyn. She joined Newsweek as a reporter in 2024. You can get in touch with Mandy via email: m.taheri@newsweek.com. Languages: English, French
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Peter Aitken is a Newsweek Politics Editor based in New York. His focus is domestic U.S. politics, but he has experience covering Foreign Affairs, Business and Technology. Peter joined Newsweek in 2024 from Fox News Digital and had previously freelanced at Business Insider. He has interviewed such notable figures as Benjamin Netanyahu, Gen. David H. Petraeus, British Foreign Ministers James Cleverly and Grant Shapps and a ranking member of the Taliban. He graduated from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, but is New York born and raised. You can get in touch with Peter by emailing p.aitken@newsweek.com. Languages: English.
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President Donald Trump will lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) following Elon Musk's departure as his Special Government Employee status ends.
Trump will also farm out the tasks of cutting "waste, fraud and abuse" in each department to the corresponding member of his Cabinet, which in effect makes the Cabinet the head of the agency.
"The DOGE leaders are each and every member of the president's cabinet and the president himself, who is wholeheartedly committed to cutting waste, fraud and abuse from our government," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters during press briefing on Thursday.
Musk on Thursday issued a statement ahead of his departure, thanking Trump "for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending," adding that the DOGE mission "will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.
In the past week, Musk has been outspoken about key legislative priorities for the president, like energy policy and the "big, beautiful bill" that seeks to fulfill Trump's key campaign promises which recently passed the House of Representatives.
This is a developing story and more information will be added as it becomes available.
