DOGE’s First 100 Days: A Look at Elon Musk’s Government Efficiency Initiative
As President Donald Trump marked his 100th day in office, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) unveiled a series of cost-cutting measures, claiming to have saved at least $160 billion in taxpayer money by targeting waste, fraud, and abuse within the federal government.
The initiative, established by an executive order signed on Trump’s Inauguration Day, set a bold goal of slashing $2 trillion from the federal budget. Musk, serving as a special government employee, faces a limit of 130 days of service per year, with his term concluding on May 30th.
Fox News Channel’s "Jesse Watters Primetime" offered a glimpse into Musk’s controversial agency, which has drawn both praise from Republicans and criticism from Democrats. The "DOGE boys," as they’re known, highlighted some of the department’s most significant savings during an interview with Watters.
DOGE’s "Greatest Hits": High-Profile Cuts
One notable example was the discovery of a $132,000 contract between the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) and Mohammad Qasem Halimi, a former Taliban member and Afghanistan’s former Chief of Protocol. The contract was terminated on March 31st. Halimi had been detained by the U.S. at Bagram Air Base in 2002 and later held positions in the Afghan government, including Minister of Hajj and Religious Affairs.
According to a DOGE staffer, USIP, despite its name, proved to be the "least peaceful agency" encountered. The staffer revealed the presence of loaded guns inside USIP’s headquarters and reported instances of private jet usage and the aforementioned contract with a former Taliban member. USIP did not respond to inquiries from Fox News Digital.
COVID-Relief Funds Mismanagement
DOGE audits revealed that the nation’s schools spent $200 billion in COVID-relief funds with minimal oversight or impact on students. Examples included the Granite School District in Utah spending $86,000 on hotel rooms at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas for an educational conference, and Santa Ana Unified in California spending $393,000 to rent out a Major League Baseball stadium.
Additional instances included schools spending $60,000 on swimming pool passes and a California district purchasing an ice cream truck using COVID-relief funds. Musk condemned this behavior as "partying on the taxpayers’ dollars." The Granite School District defended its decision to send educators to the Las Vegas conference.
International Aid Scrutiny
Sen. Joni Ernst, chairwoman of the Senate DOGE Caucus, highlighted a $20 million grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to Sesame Workshop for the creation of "Ahlan Simsim Iraq," a Sesame Street-style show aimed at promoting inclusion and understanding across ethnic, religious, and sectarian groups.
Government Accountability Office Report
A report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) revealed $162 billion in "improper payments" by federal agencies, a decrease of $74 billion from the previous fiscal year. The GAO’s analysis showed that 75% of the waste was concentrated in five programs: Medicare programs within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), HHS Medicaid, the Department of the Treasury’s earned income tax credit, the Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Restaurant Revitalization Fund.
DEI Spending Cuts
Trump has made clear his intention to slash diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) spending in the federal government, advocating for a system based on meritocracy. DOGE announced the cancellation of hundreds of millions of dollars in DEI contracts.
The agency worked with the U.S. National Science Foundation to cancel 402 DEI grants, saving $233 million, including $1 million for "Antiracist Teacher Leadership for Statewide Transformation." The Department of Defense (DOD) could save up to $80 million by cutting DEI programs.
The DOD has been collaborating with DOGE to reduce wasteful spending, according to DOD spokesman Sean Parnell. Initial findings included millions of dollars allocated to DEI programs, such as $1.9 million for holistic DEI transformation and training in the Air Force and $6 million to the University of Montana to "strengthen American democracy by bridging divides." The Trump administration is also cutting millions in DEI grants from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
In February, the Department of Education announced the cancellation of over $100 million in grants for DEI training as part of DOGE’s efforts.
The article presents the achievements of DOGE in its first 100 days under the Trump administration, highlighting various instances of wasteful spending across different government agencies and programs. It also underscores the administration’s focus on cutting DEI-related expenses.
