President Donald Trump's newly established Department of Government Efficiency faces serious challenges minutes into his second term.

According to Daily Mail, multiple government watchdog groups filed federal lawsuits against DOGE immediately after Trump's inauguration, claiming the agency violates federal law and lacks proper oversight.

The controversial agency, co-chaired by Tesla CEO Elon Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, was created through executive order as part of Trump's day-one agenda to reduce government waste. However, the legal challenges threaten to derail the initiative before it can begin operations.

Government Watchdogs Challenge DOGE Leadership Structure And Operations

Public Citizen, State Democracy Defenders Fund, and the American Federation of Government Employees union filed the first lawsuit, arguing that DOGE violates the Federal Advisory Committee Act.

The groups claim the agency's members lack balanced viewpoints, conduct secret meetings, and fail to make records publicly available.

Public Citizen co-president Lisa Gilbert expressed concerns about the agency's intentions. She stated:

As constructed, DOGE's mission to advise OMB and the White House on how to slash regulations and cut expenditures puts at risk important consumer safeguards and public protections.

The legal challenges particularly focus on potential conflicts of interest, questioning the appropriateness of Musk holding a government position while maintaining his private sector roles.

Internal Tensions Lead To Early Leadership Shakeup

Adding to DOGE's troubles, co-chair Vivek Ramaswamy abruptly resigned amid rumors of friction with Musk.

Sources indicate the resignation stemmed from disagreements over Ramaswamy's public statements about H-1B visas, which reportedly angered Musk and other MAGA movement figures.

A Republican strategist revealed the extent of the fallout, noting that Ramaswamy had burned bridges with key allies. Despite posting a photo with Musk on social media platform X and calling it "a new dawn," Ramaswamy's position had become untenable.

Ramaswamy, 39, is now reportedly planning to run for governor of Ohio in 2026, stepping away from DOGE before the agency could establish itself.

Executive Order Reveals Different Agency Structure Than Publicly Presented

The actual executive order creating DOGE differs significantly from public messaging about its purpose. Rather than establishing a new agency, the order renames the existing U.S. Digital Service to U.S. DOGE Service and creates a temporary 18-month organization ending July 4, 2026.

The order's language focuses more on modernizing federal technology and software than eliminating government waste, as previously suggested in public statements. Trump clarified that while Musk would not have a West Wing office, the agency would employ 20 staff members.

Additional lawsuits filed by National Security Counselors, Democracy Forward, and Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington seek to block DOGE's operations.

The Center for Biological Diversity has also requested all related records from the Office of Management and Budget.

Immediate Legal Challenge Threatens New Trump Initiative

Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency faces an uncertain future as multiple lawsuits challenge its legitimacy within minutes of its creation.

The legal actions question the agency's compliance with federal law, its leadership structure, and potential conflicts of interest with private sector leaders.

With co-chair Vivek Ramaswamy's sudden departure and revelations about the agency's true structure through the executive order, DOGE's ability to fulfill its stated mission of reducing government waste remains in doubt as legal proceedings move forward.