Slashing Federal Spending: The Numbers So Far
In a sweeping effort to cut waste, the Elon Musk-led DOGE initiative has identified $105 billion in potential savings, largely from lease terminations, contract cancellations, and workforce reductions. The government has already terminated 748 leases, saving $468 million annually, and is set to shed a quarter of its 360 million square feet of federal real estate.
In a recent episode of Morning Wire, Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief John Bickley sat down with the Government Accountability Institute’s Eric Eggers, co-host of “The Drill Down with Peter Schweizer,” to discuss the accomplishments of DOGE and the headwinds it faces in the coming months.
1. How much has DOGE actually accomplished so far?
Eric Eggers: “If we’re talking dollars and cents, DOGE has identified $105 billion in savings — cutting federal leases, canceling contracts, and eliminating wasteful spending. The federal government is targeting a 63% reduction in the Public Building Services division, and one agency alone — USAID — has seen 83% of its programs cut. That’s tens of billions of dollars in savings.”
2. How has X and social media changed the conversation on government waste?
Eggers: “The Trump administration has become the most radically transparent administration in recent memory. Before, legacy media controlled the narrative. The American people are now seeing a lot of things exposed that the gatekeepers in the legacy media would have never exposed. Now, X puts out receipts in real time — like the General Services Administration buying 37,000 WinZip licenses for 13,000 employees. DOGE is making cutting spending ‘cool’ again.”
3. What are the biggest pushbacks DOGE is facing?
Eggers: “Critics say these cuts are just a ‘drop in the bucket’ compared to the national deficit. The Supreme Court even blocked some USAID funding freezes. And now, Democrats are claiming DOGE is harming veterans, since 30% of federal workers are vets. We all saw Democrats protesting during his most recent congressional address, saying he’s a “dictator.” But at the end of the day, everything that’s being done in the name of cutting spending is being identified and posted on the DOGE website.”
4. What’s happening with federal job cuts, particularly at the IRS?
Eggers: “The IRS started this administration with about 100,000 employees. Reports say that number could be cut in half. And there was some talk about giving them weapons. The American public, however, seems to support the cuts — after all, downsizing for efficiency is standard in the private sector. Why should government be any different?”
5. What role is Elon Musk playing in all this?
Eggers: “Musk isn’t just backing DOGE financially—he’s essentially acting as its Chief Marketing Officer. By using X to put pressure on vulnerable politicians, making it harder for weak members of Congress and Trump’s coalition to resist these cuts. Musk and his team at X can take the specific examples and give them directly to the American people. That’s why this initiative has had so much success so quickly.”
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LISTEN: Catch the full interview with Eric Eggers on Morning Wire.
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