A recent investigation by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) concludes that financial savings reported by the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) are largely unsupported or inaccurate. Doge, which functioned as an advisory body during the start of President Trump’s second term before closing last month, publicized a Wall of Receipts tracking $110bn in claimed taxpayer savings.
The GAO audit revealed significant transparency issues, noting that 96% of the savings calculations provided by Doge could not be verified. For instance, the watchdog found that 108 lease terminations cited by Doge were already underway before the agency was even formed. Additionally, the report identified claimed savings from defense contracts that were never actually terminated, resulting in zero financial benefit.
Doge was led by Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk until his departure in May 2025. Although Musk initially aimed for $2tn in annual savings by cutting federal jobs and programs, the organization failed to meet these targets. Senator Gary Peters criticized the initiative as a deceptive effort that undermined government operations.
While Doge officials stated that their mission to reduce waste continues, the GAO’s findings indicate that the group failed to properly disclose data limitations or clarify their calculation methodologies. The Trump administration responded by emphasizing that staff were subject to standard ethics and disclosure protocols.
