President Donald Trump has revealed that he advised billionaire Elon Musk to recruit an additional 45 DOGE agents tasked with overseeing and auditing the FBI, CIA, and Pentagon.
The Department of Government Efficiency, under Trump’s administration, is now concentrating on some of the most significant government initiatives, beginning with an examination of programs that incur minimal costs. Trump has instructed DOGE to identify methods for reducing expenses and enhancing government efficiency. According to The Wall Street Journal, within the initial three weeks of the second Trump administration, DOGE has successfully identified and eliminated over $1 billion in expenditures.
DOGE reports that more than half of these savings are associated with initiatives focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion. The Journal noted that DOGE’s technology team has been addressing “low-hanging fruit” across various agencies thus far.
“Excellent coordination among 35 agencies over the past two days has led to the termination of 199 unnecessary contracts, resulting in approximately $250 million in savings. This includes contracts for services such as ‘Asia Pacific – Sri Lanka climate change mitigation adaptation and resilience coordinator services for forest service’ and workshops for ‘Intercultural communication diversity dialogue circle communicating across differences,’” DOGE announced on Friday night via X.
Elon Musk aims to identify $2 trillion in spending reductions. DOGE is expected to uncover even greater savings within some of the government’s largest programs, particularly those related to healthcare.
The Journal also reported that DOGE is collaborating with the General Services Administration (GSA), which oversees government buildings and commercial properties, to identify leases that can be terminated or allowed to expire.
However, DOGE has encountered challenges. Trump has criticized the U.S. Agency for International Development for being rife with fraud, waste, and corruption. Consequently, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order on Friday, preventing any actions that would dismantle the agency. Trump has also expressed disagreement with a federal judge’s ruling that the Treasury Department should restrict access to its payment systems for individuals who are “not civil servants with a need for access to perform their job duties.”
I completely disagree with the ruling; I find it utterly unreasonable. It is imperative that we address the issues of efficiency, as well as tackle fraud, waste, and abuse, Trump stated during a pre-recorded interview with Bret Baier of Fox News that aired on Sunday. He later expressed to reporters that the decision left him feeling disheartened and embarrassed, as reported by The Hill.
Trump emphasized that if a president is unable to investigate fraud, waste, and abuse, it signifies a loss of national integrity. He expressed disappointment in the judges responsible for such a ruling, asserting that there remains much work to be done in uncovering the extensive fraud, waste, and theft occurring.
He remarked, “No judge should be permitted to make such a decision; it is a disgrace.”
U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer issued a definitive ruling on Saturday night, stating that special government employees and those detailed from outside the department are prohibited from accessing Treasury Department systems. This ruling affects individuals such as Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur, and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
In his Fox interview, Trump also characterized the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) as “fraudulent.” USAID has largely ceased operations as DOGE assumes control of various departments to reduce expenditures.
“There are hundreds of millions of dollars being allocated to inappropriate places,” Trump asserted. “It is a significant scam.”
He suggested that the funds could be better utilized, stating, “I would prefer to allocate it to Marco Rubio at the State Department, allowing him to manage the few worthwhile initiatives.”
Engelmayer, appointed by former President Barack Obama, instructed those affected by the ruling to promptly delete any content they had previously downloaded. Musk requested to be relieved of his position on Sunday, labeling Engelmayer as “corrupt” and accusing him of “protecting corruption.”
A judge who is permanently overseeing the case initiated by 19 Democratic state attorneys general is scheduled to hold a hearing in New York on Friday to determine whether to extend the current pause. Until that decision is made, the existing ruling will remain in effect.
Elon Musk’s efforts to access the systems of various federal agencies have resulted in multiple lawsuits. There is particular concern among Democrats regarding DOGE’s potential to interact with the Treasury Department’s payment systems.
A coalition of unions has filed a lawsuit, and earlier this week, the Trump administration consented to restrict access for two individuals to the Treasury Department’s payment systems until the case progresses to the next phase.
In recent weeks, DOGE has intensified its operations.
During its initial two weeks, DOGE successfully eliminated approximately $1 billion in expenditures by terminating 85 contracts related to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEI).
These reductions affected 24 federal agencies, including the Departments of Education, Labor, Treasury, Defense, Agriculture, Homeland Security, and the Environmental Protection Agency.
“Through 1/29/2025, 85 DEIA-related contracts totaling ~$1B have been terminated within the Dept. of Ed, GSA, OPM, EPA, DoL, Treasury, DoD, USDA, Commerce, DHS, VA, HHS, State, NSF, NRC, NLRB, PBGC, USAID, RRB, SSA, SBA, BLM, CFPB, NPS, and NOAA,” stated the department on X.
The Office of Personnel Management experienced some of the most significant cuts, with nearly $500 million in contracts being canceled.
The Department of Agriculture followed, with approximately $110 million in contracts and spending eliminated.
Additional reductions included the Department of Homeland Security, which faced a decrease of $14.9 million; the Department of Health and Human Services, which cut $28.1 million; the Department of Labor, which eliminated $7.8 million; the Department of Treasury, which reduced spending by $25.2 million; the Environmental Protection Agency, which saw a $3 million cut; the Department of Education, which cut $3.8 million; and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which experienced reductions totaling $45 million.
