A shake-up is underway within the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), as Katie Miller—longtime public servant and wife of White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller—has announced her departure to work alongside Elon Musk. Her exit follows Musk’s own conclusion of government service this week after 130 days as a special government employee in the Trump administration.
Miller is set to take on a media-focused role at SpaceX and Tesla, marking a new chapter in her ongoing partnership with one of the most influential figures in tech and policy. The move was first reported by the U.K.’s Daily Mail and comes amid a broader reshuffling inside DOGE.
Miller’s exit is not an isolated event. According to ABC News, two other key figures are also leaving DOGE this week: attorney James Burnham and Steve Davis, a trusted Musk adviser with a long history at SpaceX, X, and the Boring Company. Davis had served as DOGE’s Chief Operating Officer, bringing private-sector innovation to the federal bureaucracy.
Burnham, who played a crucial role as general counsel for DOGE, is a legal heavyweight in conservative circles. He previously clerked for Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch and was appointed to DOGE for his sharp constitutional insight and no-nonsense approach to regulatory overreach.
Despite these high-profile exits, Musk emphasized that DOGE is not winding down. Speaking at a White House press briefing, Musk declared, “This is not the end of DOGE, but really the beginning.” He went on to express confidence in the agency’s mission, stating, “The DOGE team will only grow stronger over time… I am confident that over time, we will see $1 trillion dollars of waste and fraud reduction.”
Musk’s optimism underscores the importance of the work being done at DOGE—a mission focused on slashing bureaucratic waste and increasing government accountability. Conservatives have long called for targeted cuts to discretionary spending, and DOGE represents a new model for delivering on that promise.
However, tensions recently surfaced between Musk and the Trump administration over a controversial spending bill. In a teaser released by CBS Sunday Morning, Musk critiqued what he called the “Big Beautiful Bill” passed by the House last week. “I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly,” Musk said. “It increases the budget deficit and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing.”
Stephen Miller responded directly to Musk’s remarks in a social media post, clarifying that DOGE targets discretionary spending and that under Senate budget rules, such cuts must go through either a rescissions package or an appropriations bill—not reconciliation. It was a reminder of the legislative hurdles reformers still face, even with allies inside the administration.
As Katie Miller transitions to her new role, her departure signals not an end, but a realignment. The core ideas of DOGE—efficiency, transparency, and fiscal responsibility—remain central to the Trump administration’s platform, even as key personnel move into the private sector.
And with Musk continuing to speak out on wasteful spending and policy reform, the spirit of DOGE is alive and well.