Elon Musk’s tenure as the public face of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—created by President Donald Trump during his second term—may be winding down. But the fiscal footprint of the agency remains significant. Established by executive order in January, DOGE was launched with a sweeping mandate. The objectives include, shrink the federal workforce, root out inefficiencies, and above all, save taxpayer money. Musk proposed the idea even before Trump’s re-election and quickly made it his top priority post-victory, reportedly diverting attention away from his companies, Tesla and SpaceX.
In the lead-up to the 2024 election, Musk boldly claimed that DOGE could slash up to $2 trillion from federal spending—about one-third of the entire U.S. budget. “We’ll try for $2 trillion. That’s the best-case outcome,” Musk said. “If we aim for that, I think we’ve got a real shot at hitting one [trillion].” He later said that even reaching $1 trillion in savings would be “epic,” describing the federal government as a “target-rich environment for saving money.”
DOGE’s reported impact so far
According to the agency’s official tracker site, DOGE has saved $170 billion in federal spending as of May, 17% of Musk’s $1 trillion goal, and 8.5% of the $2 trillion “dream target.” The tracker features a public “efficiency leaderboard” and outlines where the savings are coming from. Among the largest reported cuts, a $3.3 billion program at the Department of the Interior for refugee care infrastructure and over $3 billion slashed from Homeland Security spending on facilities in Texas and California, as per NewsWeek. However, questions have emerged about the legitimacy of some claims. Critics point out that many listed savings were from pre-existing cancellations, and one entry mistakenly logged an $8 million cut as $8 billion. In addition to budget cuts, DOGE has deactivated 500,000 federal credit cards—about 10% of those in use—used by government employees for agency purchases. More deactivations may follow, the agency said.
What’s Next?
Musk now says he is stepping away from the spotlight at DOGE, having achieved what he set out to do. His presence at official events has noticeably decreased, and he has told Tesla investors he’s shifting focus back to his businesses. Though his stint in government may be ending, the debate over DOGE’s true savings—and its legacy—has only just begun.