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3471Elon Musk has promised to slash trillions from the federal budget, but according to Musk’s biographer and commentator, Seth Abramson, the actual results are far less impressive.
“Elon Musk has cut somewhere between 0% and 3% of what he promised—and most of what was cut was not waste or fraud or abuse, but simply expenditures Mr. Musk did not personally favor for partisan reasons,” Abramson wrote on X.
DOGE, the Department of Government Efficiency, was supposed to streamline spending and eliminate unnecessary costs. But critics say it’s turning out to be more of a bust than a breakthrough.
Critics Call It a Data Grab, Not a Reform Effort
Across social media, reactions have been blistering. Some users are calling DOGE “a data mining operation” and accusing it of being a massive “data heist.”
Others are asking where the evidence is for any real government waste or fraud being eliminated.
One user asked, “Has any genuine waste, fraud, or abuse been identified by DOGE?” and pointed out that even the few cuts that were made might actually end up increasing long-term costs.
The Math Doesn’t Add Up
Steve Rattner, an economic analyst on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, broke down the numbers.
Trump originally claimed DOGE would cut $2 trillion from the $7 trillion federal budget.
That goal was later revised to $1 trillion in January, and then slashed again to $150 billion in April.
Even the $150 billion figure is questionable.
“The New York Times did a very thorough investigation of this,” Rattner said, adding that $90 billion to $92 billion of the cuts are “unspecified.”
Of the remaining $63 billion, some included mistakes, like crediting Musk’s team for canceling a $1.9 billion contract that had actually been axed under the Biden administration.
NYT reporters David Fahrenthold and Jeremy Singer-Vine also found that Musk’s team took credit for cutting spending that wasn’t even planned for the next fiscal year, including a $318 million “phantom” contract that only existed as a request for proposal, not a signed agreement.
Yet DOGE claimed savings down to the cent: $318,310,328.30.
Musk initially aimed to cut $1 trillion by Sept. 30, saying in February, “If you add competence and caring, you’ll cut the budget deficit in half,” he declared in the Oval Office in February.
That goal was later quietly revised. What’s more, DOGE has focused exclusively on nondefense discretionary spending, which totals around $950 billion.
Even if every dollar were cut, it still wouldn’t hit Musk’s original $2 trillion target.
James Capretta, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, said DOGE “got off on the wrong foot,” describing its early efforts as a “SWAT team approach” that slashed programs out of political favor without doing the hard work of negotiating sustainable, long-term cuts with Congress.
“Just cutting jobs and so-called waste doesn’t necessarily mean the Musk team has made significant cuts to the size and scope of government,” Capretta told the Times.
Real cuts, he said, would require taking on politically sensitive programs like Medicare or Medicaid.
Meanwhile, federal spending has continued to rise.
“There’s still no impact whatsoever on government spending from all the commotion Musk has created in Washington,” Rattner said.
Tesla’s Sales Slip and Musk’s Popularity Drops
While Musk has been focused on DOGE, his flagship company, Tesla, is hitting some bumps.
Global sales dropped 13% in the first quarter of 2025, the steepest decline in the company’s history. U.S. EV sales rose 11% in the same period, while Tesla’s fell 9%.
Rattner pointed to increased competition, aging models, and Musk’s growing unpopularity as key factors.
“Musk is becoming too hot to handle,” he said, citing a Morgan Stanley survey that found 85% of investors believe Musk’s political activity is hurting Tesla.
In Europe, the damage is even worse. Tesla’s market share dropped significantly, which Rattner linked to anti-American sentiment and Musk’s personal brand.
Government Critic or Beneficiary?
Musk has been vocal about his dislike for government programs, but Tesla has benefited heavily from them.
Rattner noted that Tesla made around $1.7 billion from selling electric vehicle credits to other automakers.
“Ironically, a program that Trump has talked about killing is one of the ones that Musk has been the biggest beneficiary of,” he said.
“Tesla Regret Syndrome”
On Morning Joe, political analyst John Heilemann said Musk’s behavior has started to backfire.
He cited reports of Tesla owners removing the logo from their vehicles due to embarrassment, calling it “Tesla Regret Syndrome.”
Heilemann also referenced Musk’s failed political interventions, like the Wisconsin judicial election, where his support reportedly hurt the conservative candidate he backed.
With Musk under fire for both his government role and Tesla’s performance, many are questioning the real impact of DOGE.
As one user put it, “It’s the biggest grift on the American people while lining his pockets.”
So far, the numbers back that up more than the promises ever did.
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