100 days of DOGE: Elon Musk’s sweeping Trump administration function
Since President Trump returned to workplace 100 days in the past, Elon Musk has amassed huge energy — main the administration’s efforts to shutter authorities businesses and slash the federal workforce.
Musk’s ruthless method to main the Division of Authorities Effectivity — epitomized by a speech during which the Tesla CEO brandished a chainsaw — has drawn lawsuits, pushback from federal staff and criticism from Tesla traders. However he is additionally held onto broad help from Republican voters and, not less than publicly, from Mr. Trump himself.
Musk gained affect — and spent closely — in 2024 race
Musk — the world’s richest individual — endorsed Mr. Trump minutes after the then-presidential candidate’s July 2024 assassination try. Musk had oscillated on backing Mr. Trump: The one-time Obama backer urged Mr. Trump “dangle up his hat & sail into the sundown” in 2022, and later supported Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s 2024 GOP main bid.
The alliance between the 2 billionaires was outlined by marketing campaign money. Musk spent greater than $250 million supporting Mr. Trump and different GOP candidates in 2024, a lot of it via Musk’s America PAC. The group helped lead Mr. Trump’s get-out-the-vote efforts, and have become identified for utilizing its large conflict chest in unorthodox and infrequently controversial methods. One plan to dole out $1 million a day to swing state voters who signed a petition drew a lawsuit from Philadelphia’s district lawyer, who accused Musk’s tremendous PAC of working an unlawful lottery.
Mr. Trump floated a Musk-led “authorities effectivity fee” throughout the later months of the marketing campaign. The scope of Musk’s function was initially unclear: In a post-election assertion, Mr. Trump framed DOGE as an exterior physique that might supply “recommendation and steering,” a much more restricted function than the one Musk took on.
Musk guarantees $2 trillion in cuts however slashes far much less
In an October marketing campaign rally, the billionaire predicted he may discover not less than $2 trillion in annual financial savings, which might require him to slash the finances by almost 30% — a frightening purpose contemplating that just about half of all authorities spending goes towards the army, Medicare and Social Safety, three politically difficult-to-cut areas. Earlier this yr, Musk cited a still-ambitious $1 trillion as his goal.
Thus far, DOGE’s said value financial savings have not come shut to the trillion-dollar mark. Musk mentioned earlier this month he anticipates $150 billion in financial savings within the 2026 fiscal yr by reducing waste and fraud. In the meantime, the DOGE web site says it has saved $160 billion via a mix of cancelling contracts and grants, promoting property and ferreting out fraud.
However most of the value financial savings touted by DOGE have been referred to as into query. DOGE retains a working tally of spending cuts on its web site, however this “wall of receipts” has included errors and unverified claims, together with an $8 million cancelled contract that was erroneously listed at $8 billion, CBS Information has beforehand reported.
White Home spokesman Harrison Fields defended DOGE’s cost-cutting objectives and referred to as $1 trillion a yr an achievable benchmark. He additionally mentioned errors are uncommon and “corrected instantly,” and the statistics on DOGE’s web site undergo a “prolonged evaluation and evaluation.” The $8 billion mistake dates again to the prior administration, DOGE has argued.
“The purpose is to chop as a lot waste, fraud and abuse from the federal authorities as doable,” Fields advised CBS Information. “The president could be very completely happy and supportive of the achievements of DOGE, and is aware of that we’re simply now getting began.”
A few of Musk’s claims in regards to the measurement of the federal government’s fraud downside are additionally troublesome to show. He advised Fox Enterprise’ Larry Kudlow final month the federal government may save $500 billion to $700 billion by reducing fraud and waste from entitlement applications, however there’s little proof that fraud exists on wherever close to that scale, which might equal 20% to 30% of all annual spending on Social Safety and Medicare. The Authorities Accountability Workplace estimates the federal government loses $233 billion to $521 billion per yr as a result of fraud. When requested about Musk’s $700 billion fraud estimates, Fields mentioned “I do not suppose it is out of the realm of chance.”
And DOGE’s efforts to slash the federal workforce may find yourself costing $135 billion as a result of paid go away and productiveness prices, an evaluation by the Partnership for Public Service estimates.
That estimate was dismissed by the White Home. “The continued makes an attempt to sow doubt within the large accomplishments of this never-before-seen effort to make authorities extra environment friendly speaks extra in regards to the illegitimacy of these peddling these falsehoods than good work of DOGE,” Fields advised CBS Information final week.
Hundreds of federal staff lower since Trump and Musk’s “fork within the highway”
When the Trump administration emailed hundreds of thousands of federal staff in January to supply months of pay in trade for quitting their jobs, the message’s topic line — “Fork within the Street” — was equivalent to the one Musk used to coax workers into leaving Twitter after he purchased the location.
Since then, Musk has performed a central function in efforts to lower as much as 10% of the civilian workforce.
The White Home says 75,000 folks took the “Fork within the Street” deferred resignation deal, which provided to pay workers till the top of September in the event that they resigned from their positions by early February. As many as 200,000 staff have been anticipated to take part. Tens of 1000’s of federal workers have additionally been laid off, together with massive numbers of probationary staff with lower than one or two years of service.
The job cuts have hit throughout the federal authorities. DOGE staffers visited the Pentagon in February because the army plans to get rid of tens of 1000’s of civilian roles. The Social Safety Administration has misplaced 1000’s of staff, and the Inside Income Service may lower its workers by 25% in keeping with the Related Press.
Well being businesses have been hit by the administration’s cuts. The Nationwide Institutes of Well being is anticipated to face steep finances cuts, a transfer former NIH Director Francis Collins warned may have dire penalties for public well being in an interview with “60 Minutes.” The Substance Abuse and Psychological Well being Companies Administration has misplaced 10% of its workers, CBS Information reported.
Some 1,000 Nationwide Park Service staff have been laid off, elevating fears about understaffing.
Fields advised CBS Information the Trump administration’s job cuts are designed to keep away from any disruption to important authorities companies, however added: “To a paperwork that has gone untouched for many years, it should be disruptive.”
In some instances, laid-off probationary staff have been rehired as a result of now-paused court docket orders that halted the job cuts, inflicting confusion. “We’re purported to be OK. However one minute we’re in a great house, and the subsequent minute we may simply lose every thing,” one rehired Facilities for Medicare and Medicaid Companies workers member advised CBS Information.
In the meantime, Musk has publicly blasted the federal workforce, claiming DOGE is on a mission to get rid of a “dictatorship of the paperwork” that is hostile to Mr. Trump’s agenda.
In February, federal workers obtained an e-mail with the topic line, “What did you do final week?” instructing them to answer with an inventory of 5 issues they’d achieved. Musk warned on X that any non-responses “might be taken as a resignation.” The transfer set off confusion, with some businesses telling staff to not reply. Musk later referred to as the emails a “pulse verify” designed to root out lifeless or nonexistent those who he claims are accumulating paychecks.
DOGE tries to close down businesses: USAID, CFPB and extra
Even when DOGE’s cuts may fall wanting Musk’s objectives, its affect has been sweeping.
Inside days of Mr. Trump’s inauguration, DOGE started touting cancelled contracts, and its workers grew to become embedded in scores of departments. Musk advised Fox Enterprise final month his workforce of over 100 folks was in “just about” each company. Lots of the funding cuts have been abrupt, and Musk has admitted DOGE has made errors in its fast push to slash spending.
In some instances, Musk’s workforce has participated within the near-dismantling of federal businesses. The gambit has usually begun with DOGE staffers accessing an company’s places of work — in some instances clashing with workers — adopted by mass job cuts.
The U.S. Company for Worldwide Growth, a overseas help company that Musk described as a “legal group” awash with fraud, was considered one of his earliest targets. Two USAID safety officers have been placed on go away for attempting to cease DOGE staffers from accessing inside methods (a Trump administration spokesperson mentioned on the time labeled data wasn’t accessed with out safety clearances). The Trump administration later positioned a lot of USAID’s workers on go away, halted overseas help applications and started absorbing what remained of USAID into the State Division.
The Client Monetary Safety Bureau has additionally drawn Musk’s ire. In early February, DOGE personnel entered the monetary regulator’s workplace and “camped out within the basement,” a former company staffer advised CBS Information’ “60 Minutes.” Hours later, Musk posted on X, “CFPB RIP.” The administration has tried to lay off 90% of CFPB workers and halt the company’s work, although a federal decide has briefly blocked these strikes.
DOGE’s efforts on the U.S. Institute of Peace triggered a authorized standoff, with a number of fired board members suing the administration and accusing DOGE personnel of participating in a “literal trespass and takeover by drive” on the company’s headquarters. The White Home defended cuts to the group on the time, telling CBS Information, “Taxpayers do not need to spend $50 million per yr on a publicly-funded ‘analysis institute’ that has did not ship peace.”
Musk accesses federal knowledge
Personnel at DOGE gained entry to the Treasury Division’s inside cost system within the first few weeks of Mr. Trump’s time period, which Musk forged as a strategy to catch fraud. The transfer prompted concern from Democrats as a result of delicate private knowledge dealt with by the system and the chance that DOGE may attempt to lower off spending approved by Congress. The Trump administration mentioned on the time Musk’s workforce has “read-only” entry.
In mid-February, a staffer linked to DOGE additionally sought entry to the Inside Income Service’s taxpayer knowledge system, drawing criticism from Democratic lawmakers. Deputy White Home chief of workers Stephen Miller mentioned the administration is planning a “fundamental anti-fraud assessment to make sure that individuals are not participating in massive scale theft of federal taxpayer advantages.”
Musk has scrutinized the Social Safety Administration, which he claims is rife with fraud, suggesting tens of hundreds of thousands of lifeless individuals are receiving funds and immigrants are abusing the system en masse, although he is by no means provided any proof for both of those assertions. He is described Social Safety as a “Ponzi scheme,” although each Musk and Mr. Trump have mentioned they’d not lower advantages. At one level earlier this yr, the SSA thought of requiring Social Safety recipients to confirm their identities in individual as an alternative of over the telephone, however the company reversed course after seniors and their advocates objected.
Musk clashes with Democrats, courts — and even Trump allies
Musk’s rise to energy has drawn outrage from Democrats, who argue DOGE has unilaterally slashed spending appropriated by Congress. Most Republican lawmakers defended DOGE, although some have raised issues about sweeping cuts to public well being businesses and applications vital to their districts.
Public opinion on Musk is equally divided. Some 52% of Individuals mentioned in late February Musk and DOGE had an excessive amount of affect over federal employee firing choices, together with 81% of Democrats and 57% of independents however simply 21% of Republicans, in keeping with a CBS Information ballot with a margin of error of two.5 factors.
Musk has often clashed with different Trump loyalists. His choose for interim IRS chief — Hunter Biden whistleblower Gary Shapley — left the function after simply 48 hours, after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent privately complained to Mr. Trump. And Musk publicly feuded with White Home commerce adviser Peter Navarro over tariffs, calling him “dumber than a sack of bricks.”
DOGE’s aggressive strikes have additionally drawn lawsuits arguing the company has exceeded its authority. At varied factors, judges have halted DOGE’s efforts to put off staff and entry the Treasury cost system, although in lots of instances, these rulings have been stayed.
Some authorized challenges have zeroed in on Musk’s official standing within the administration. The White Home says Musk is a “particular authorities worker,” which permits him to serve for as much as 130 days in a single yearlong interval. The administration has argued in court docket papers that Musk is not formally DOGE’s administrator and “has no precise or formal authority to make authorities choices himself.”
DOGE clashes with Musk’s enterprise pursuits
Musk’s enterprise empire advantages closely from federal applications. Tesla sells billions of {dollars} a yr in credit to automakers that fall wanting federal emission guidelines, and its automobiles are sponsored by tax incentives for electrical autos — although Mr. Trump has referred to as for a rollback of electrical automotive subsidies. Mr. Trump has additionally provided his public endorsement, promising to purchase a Tesla in a White Home occasion. Musk’s aerospace firm SpaceX has useful contracts with NASA, and its satellite tv for pc web division Starlink may take over a contract to modernize the air visitors management system, the Related Press stories.
Musk has pushed again on conflict-of-interest issues, saying in an Oval Workplace look with Mr. Trump, “all of our actions are maximally clear.”
However DOGE has brought about agita for Tesla traders, a few of whom worry Musk is just too distracted to run the corporate or his polarizing picture may damage the carmaker’s model. The corporate’s gross sales and earnings have fallen over the previous yr, and its share value is down almost 25% from early January, prompting some traders to urge him to step again from the Trump administration.
Musk mentioned on a Tesla earnings name final week his “time allocation to DOGE will drop considerably” in Might. However he added that he’ll stay concerned for the remainder of Mr. Trump’s time period.
There is not any indication DOGE or Musk’s work on the White Home will finish subsequent month. “Elon Musk will nonetheless be a standard face right here,” Fields mentioned.
