Musk Predicts $1 Trillion In Government Savings as DOGE Cuts Expand
Charlie Kirk Staff
05/31/2025

Elon Musk says the federal government is on track to save $1 trillion through ongoing cost-cutting efforts led by DOGE, the oversight initiative he helped launch under President Trump to root out waste and inefficiency across federal agencies. The initiative claims to have saved the federal government approximately $175 billion in recent months by targeting waste, fraud, and unnecessary spending.
DOGE’s reported cuts include reductions in government contracts, asset sales, and identification of improper payments. According to the agency’s website, the estimated savings break down to about $1,086.96 per American taxpayer.
One of the most dramatic actions taken under DOGE was the large-scale dismantling of the US Agency for International Development (USAID). Following a six-week review, roughly 83% of USAID’s programs and more than 5,200 contracts were canceled.
At Friday’s event, President Trump highlighted several spending items that DOGE had eliminated. “$20 million for Arab Sesame Street in the Middle East,” Trump said. “Nobody knows what that’s all about. Nobody’s been able to find it. $8 million for making mice transgenders. So they spent $8 million in making mice transgender. And those are better than many others. I could sit here all day and read things just like that.”
While media outlets such as The New York Times and BBC News have challenged the full scope of the $175 billion savings claim, Musk expressed confidence that DOGE’s impact would continue to grow. “The DOGE influence will only grow stronger,” Musk said. “I liken it to a sort of person of Buddhism. It’s like a way of life so it is permeating throughout the government. And I’m confident that over time, we’ll see $1 trillion of savings, and a reduction in $1 trillion of waste, fraud reduction.”
Musk projected that the cost-cutting effort would surpass $200 billion in total reductions by fiscal year 2025–26.
Despite early goals to cut $1–2 trillion in spending, DOGE faced multiple lawsuits and strong political resistance, particularly from Democratic lawmakers. Many of its most ambitious proposals required congressional approval, limiting its ability to fully eliminate large federal programs.
When asked about the most significant challenge he faced, Musk emphasized the scale of the work. “It’s mostly just a lot of hard work,” he said. “It’s going through really millions of line items and saying just each one of them makes sense or does not make sense.”
Musk also addressed the backlash from entities affected by the cuts. “Obviously, at times when you cut expenses, those who are receiving the money… do complain,” he said. “You’re not going to hear someone confessing that they received money inappropriately. Never.”
As Musk exits his public role in DOGE, the agency’s future direction remains unclear, though officials suggested its operations would continue.