"In short: The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) "doesn't exist", a US government spokesperson says,
"The department, established by Donald Trump and once headed up by Elon Musk, promised to slash billions from the US government but has quietly faded into the background in recent months.
"What's next? Many of those involved in DOGE have moved into other roles within the US government."
"DOGE claimed to have slashed tens of billions of dollars in expenditures, but it was impossible for outside financial experts to verify that because the unit did not provide detailed public accounting of its work.
"President Trump was given a clear mandate to reduce waste, fraud and abuse across the federal government, and he continues to actively deliver on that commitment," said White House spokesperson Liz Huston in an email to Reuters.
"Trump administration officials have not openly said that DOGE no longer exists, even after Mr Musk's public feud with Mr Trump in May. Mr Musk has since left Washington.
"Mr Trump and his team have nevertheless signalled its demise in public since this summer, even though the US president signed an executive order earlier in his term decreeing that DOGE would last through July 2026."