According to a senior agency official on Thursday, Elon Musk may no longer be in charge of DOGE, but his reforms at the State Department will endure indefinitely.
In a message on his social media site X, formerly Twitter, Musk announced his retirement from DOGE on Wednesday night, as his 130-day mandate as a “special government employee” draws to a close.
As the head of DOGE, Musk played a key role in bringing significant reforms to the State Department, including the successful dismantling of USAID, staff reductions, and the termination of several foreign aid programs for a variety of reasons, including inefficiency and a lack of oversight.
A new reorganization attempt at the Department of State unveiled by Secretary Marco Rubio on Thursday further bolstered the indication that Musk’s work at the State Department connected to DOGE will continue.
According to agency sources, the new restructuring plans are part of a comprehensive reform aimed at streamlining the State Department, which is planned to eliminate or merge over 300 offices and bureaus.
Approximately 40% of the agency’s 700 offices will be joined or slashed as a result of the reform.
“We have too many godd— offices,” a senior State Department official stated. “We’re trying to shrink offices rather than create them.”
The reorganization reform, which top State Department officials claimed will be the agency’s biggest restructuring since the Cold War, was revealed in a notification sent to Congress on Thursday.
Related Story: Musk Ends Tenure at DOGE, Leaves Legacy of Federal Efficiency Reforms
Even though Musk is ending his job at DOGE, many DOGE staffers will continue to be a part of the Trump administration, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt noted Thursday.
“Surely the mission of Doge will continue,” Leavitt stated on Thursday. “Many Doge employees are now political employees.”
Jeremy Lewin, a colleague of Musk’s at DOGE, was recently appointed to a senior position at the State Department. He was assigned to a different position at State in April. Lewin, however, denies ever working directly with Musk’s DOGE after all.
