the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, did not save the $2 trillion in waste promised as of early 2026.
Based on reports, the initiative fell significantly short of that goal, with claimed savings often being a small fraction of the promise, and in some cases, the initiatives actually resulted in net costs.
--Savings vs. Promises: While Elon Musk initially promised $2 trillion in cuts, this figure was later reduced to $1 trillion and subsequently to $150 billion. By April 2025, reports indicated actual savings were far lower than even the revised goals, with one analysis showing only about $2 billion in real, verified cuts out of over $50 billion claimed at the time.
--Inflated Claims and Errors: Analyses by the New York Times and others found that many of DOGE’s "savings" claims were inflated, inaccurate, or double-counted, with one report stating that in August 2025, DOGE overstated the savings of its largest cuts by 97%.
--Actual Costs: Studies suggested that DOGE's actions, including mass firings and disruptions, actually cost taxpayers money—estimated at $135 billion due to paid leave for federal workers, lost productivity, and costs of rehiring, without including potential revenue losses from IRS cuts.
--Workforce Reductions: DOGE was successful in cutting the federal workforce, reducing it by over 280,000 employees, which created significant disruptions in government services.
Experts noted that achieving $2 trillion in cuts was considered nearly impossible without touching major, protected programs like Social Security and Medicare.