After his explosion as Trump, Musk can be released. But Doge is just beginning.

Elon Musk’s explosion with President Trump may have condemned Washington’s most powerful partnership, but the billionaire’s signature cost reduction project has become deeply anchored in Mr. Trump’s administration and could be there to stay.

At the Ministry of Energy, for example, a former member of the Government Ministry is now the chief of staff.

In the Interior Department, DOGE members were converted into federal employees and integrated into the agency, said a person familiar with the issue, who spoke under the guise of anonymity for fear of reprisals. And to the Environmental Protection Agency, where a spokesperson said there were two senior officials associated with the DOGE mission, work continues on efforts to dismantle an agency that Trump has long targeted.

“They are still going internally; We don’t really have the impression that something stopped here, “said Nicole Cantello, former EPA lawyer who represents her union in Chicago.

The question of whether Doge keeps its current form inspired by musk remains an open question. Friday, some members of Doge expressed their concern that the president can choose to retaliate against Mr. Musk in dismissing people associated with the initiative. Others could choose to go alone, after Mr. Musk. And the role of Doge, even its legality, remains the subject of legal battles in the midst of questions on its attempts to use sensitive government data.

But the approach that Doge initially embodied – deep cuts in expenses, staff and projects – seems to have taken root.