DOGE $160 Billon Savings Has Cost $135 Billion

Monday, April 28, 2025

Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, says it has saved $160 billion through its push to root out wasteful or fraudulent government spending. But that effort may also have come at a cost for taxpayers, with a new analysis from a nonpartisan research and advocacy group estimating that DOGE's actions will cost $135 billion this fiscal year.

Posted by Danforth at 06:31 PM | 13 COMMENTS | permalink | Comment on This Entry |

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The $135 billion cost to taxpayers doesn't include the expense of defending multiple lawsuits challenging DOGE's actions, nor the impact of estimated lost tax collections due to staff cuts at the IRS.

(emphasis mine)

Comments

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Sooooo...after all costs, a wash.

And by "wash", I mean a wash-away of American goodwill, American hegemony, American leadership, American pride....

#1 | Posted by Danforth at 2025-04-27 07:24 PM | Reply

... DOGE $160 Billon Savings Has Cost $135 Billion ... The $135 billion cost to taxpayers doesn't include the expense of defending multiple lawsuits challenging DOGE's actions, nor the impact of estimated lost tax collections due to staff cuts at the IRS. ...

Bingo.

Half a trillion vanished? IRS bombshell as agency warns DOGE may have cost U.S. a shocking $500 billion; here's the full detail (March 25, 2025)
economictimes.indiatimes.com

... Synopsis

The IRS estimates a $500 billion loss due to the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency's disruptions.

DOGE reduced IRS staff, including laying off 20,000 workers, impacting tax processing and fraud investigations.

This could strain government services or raise the national deficit, making it significant compared to US non-defense discretionary spending....

#2 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-04-27 07:50 PM | Reply

The goal was never to save money.

The goal was to get our data.

The goal was to stop paying government employees good wages and benefits and to move those jobs to Elmos companies where he can profit from them.

#3 | Posted by Nixon at 2025-04-28 08:34 AM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

"Money," Cabaret

www.youtube.com

#4 | Posted by Dbt2 at 2025-04-28 07:12 PM | Reply

I'm just gonna say,

This is pretty typical of how Trump spends his money.

Trump will do something that ought to make money, sometimes. Not buy an airline, but maybe buy a Casino or start a University or a Vodka brand. Why isn't Trump Vodka on the shelves right now come to think of it?

Anyway, Trump will do something that a good businessman could pull off, but he will do it so badly that it ends up costing more money than it brings in, because of all the bone-headed mistakes he makes along the way.

I think the closest historical example I cant think of to Trump, and especially for those who follow him, is the Prophet Muhammad.

#5 | Posted by snoofy at 2025-04-28 08:05 PM | Reply

MAGA won't understand this. For most of them, maths are hard.

#6 | Posted by Whatsleft at 2025-04-28 09:48 PM | Reply

How much has Elon Musk's Doge cut from US government spending?
www.bbc.com

... Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) - set up to cut US government spending - claims to have saved, on average, more than $10bn a week since President Trump entered office.

"We're talking about almost $200bn and rising fast," Trump told the BBC when talking about Mr Musk's cost-cutting drive on 23 April.

Doge's website says it is focusing on cancelling contracts, grants and leases put in place by previous administrations, as well as tackling fraud and reducing the government workforce.

BBC Verify has looked at the agency's biggest claimed savings, examining the figures and speaking to experts.

Our analysis found that behind some of the large numbers, there is a lack of evidence to back them up. ...

There's a chart in the article that shows $160 billion estimated savings, $61.5 billion itemized savings, and only $32.5 billion savings with a receipt attached.

#7 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-04-29 12:17 PM | Reply

Typical Sqeelon, over-promise (lie) and under-deliver.

What I want to see is where is the illegal fraud, abuse, and covert deep bureaucratic state? DOGE and Trump convinced most of America that Federal employees are parasites

Or, even better, be truthful for once and admit there wasn't any of those things, and in actuality Federal workers are just doing their jobs as congress intended consistent with executive oversight.

#8 | Posted by horstngraben at 2025-04-29 12:31 PM | Reply

" Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) - set up to cut US government spending - claims to have saved, on average, more than $10bn a week since President Trump entered office."

The MAGAmotons will believe anything Trump tells them! Questioning anything will prompt an FBI investigation of the loyalty to Herr Trump!

#9 | Posted by danni at 2025-04-29 01:12 PM | Reply

I wouldn't call a Soros and USAID funded agit-prop audit "non-partisan".

#10 | Posted by visitor_ at 2025-04-29 01:18 PM | Reply

I wouldn't call a Soros and USAID funded agit-prop audit "non-partisan".
#10 | Posted by visitor_ at 2025-04-29 01:18 PM

That is precisely what you posted.

Can you provide any evidence of USAID performing "agit-prop"?

#11 | Posted by redlightrobot at 2025-04-29 01:33 PM | Reply

I wouldn't call a Soros and USAID funded agit-prop audit "non-partisan".

#10 | Posted by visitor_

How did you feel when trump chose Soros' protege to be secretary of the treasury?

#12 | Posted by SpeakSoftly at 2025-04-29 01:40 PM | Reply

I wouldn't call a Soros and USAID funded agit-prop audit "non-partisan".
#10 | Posted by visitor_

Would you call DOGE non-partisan?
How about climate change, non-partisan?

Facts are partisan to malcontents like you.
It's why you invent alternate facts.

#13 | Posted by snoofy at 2025-04-29 01:56 PM | Reply