Topline
President Donald Trump questioned the extent of the federal cuts made by billionaire adviser Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, the The Wall Street Journal reported, bringing the savings into doubt as Musk ended his short stint as special government employee this week after making controversial cuts and layoffs within the federal government.
DOGE claims it has saved an estimated $175 billion through workforce reductions, grant … More
Getty ImagesKey Facts
Trump asked, “Was it all bull****?” according to unnamed administration officials cited by the Journal on Friday, referring to Musk’s vow to cut $1 trillion in government spending.
Musk reiterated the promise during an Oval Office press conference with Trump on Friday, saying he was confident DOGE will produce “$1 trillion dollars of waste and fraud reduction” over time.
Musk has seemingly pushed back the deadline for the $1 trillion in savings, as the billionaire Tesla chief said in March the ambitious cuts would be completed in roughly two months.
Trump’s purported doubt came as Musk’s time as a special government employee came to an end Friday, though he and the president have maintained he will continue visiting the White House and acting as a friend and adviser.
Forbes asked for comment from the White House and Musk, the latter of whom did not respond to the Journal’s request for comment Friday.
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How Much Money Has Doge Saved?
The Musk-led department says it has saved an estimated $175 billion through workforce reductions, grant cancellations, contract cancellations and more. It also claims it has saved $1,086 per taxpayer.
Contra
DOGE’s claims of savings have been rife with inconsistencies and errors, according to multiple reports, suggesting the true savings figures are lower than what the agency has reported. For example, DOGE once claimed it saved $8 billion by cancelling an immigration contract that actually had a value of $8 million. A BBC analysis from April found that only about half of the itemized savings published by DOGE were linked to receipts or other forms of evidence. DOGE lists some receipts as being “unavailable for legal reasons.”
Key Background
Prior to Trump’s election and his time in government, Musk pledged to erase $2 trillion from federal spending—a vow that has since been reduced to $1 trillion. Many of the DOGE-directed cuts have been contested, with federal layoffs in particular seeing challenges in court. Some 216,000 federal employees were laid off in March, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Agencies hit or expected to be targeted by the layoffs include the Department of Human Services, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Education and several others. The firings have been contested in court, going as far as the Supreme Court last month, when the high court blocked a judge’s order requiring employees at six federal agencies to be rehired.
Further Reading
Inside Trump and Musk’s Complicated Relationship (WSJ)
How much has Elon Musk’s Doge cut from US government spending? (Forbes)
Supreme Court Blocks Judge’s Order Requiring Employees At Six Federal Agencies To Be Rehired—For Now (Forbes)
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