How Much Money Has Elon Musk's DOGE Saved US Taxpayers?

Published: Friday, May 23, 2025 at 8:00 am

Did Elon Musk's DOGE Really Save Taxpayers Billions? A Look at the Numbers

Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), created under President Trump's second administration, aimed to slash federal spending. Newsweek investigated whether the agency, led by Musk, delivered on its promise to save taxpayers money.

The goal, set by Musk before Trump's election win, was ambitious: potentially cutting up to $2 trillion from the federal budget. DOGE's mission, established by executive order, focused on reducing workforce size and eliminating inefficiencies. Musk even prioritized this over his companies, Tesla and SpaceX.

According to DOGE's own tracker, as of May, the agency claims to have saved $170 billion. This represents 17% of the $1 trillion goal and 8.5% of Musk's "best-case outcome" of $2 trillion. The largest savings came from the Department of the Interior, which canceled a $3.3 billion program. The Department of Homeland Security also saw significant cuts. DOGE also deactivated half a million federal credit cards.

However, the agency's claims have faced scrutiny. Critics point out that some listed savings were already in place before DOGE's involvement, and there have been reported errors in the figures.

Musk himself has indicated he's stepping back from the public role, stating he's "done enough" and will reduce political donations. He's also shifting his focus back to Tesla.

BNN's Perspective: While the reported savings are substantial, the lack of transparency and the inclusion of pre-existing cuts raise concerns. It's crucial to independently verify DOGE's claims to accurately assess its impact. While the stated savings are impressive, the lack of independent verification and the reported errors warrant caution.

Keywords: Elon Musk, DOGE, Department of Government Efficiency, Trump administration, federal budget, government savings, taxpayer money, spending cuts, Tesla, SpaceX, government efficiency, budget cuts, federal spending, savings, government spending, agency efficiency

Full Story