As the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative officially ceased operations, closing its doors on 4 July 2026, the warning Elon Musk issued in 2025, that the 'ship of America will sink' unless federal deficits were slashed by a trillion dollars, now faces a stark accounting. With the national debt having climbed to $39.2 trillion as of May 2026, the legacy of the cost-cutting project is being met with significant scepticism from fi…