Elon Musk Scales Back DOGE Savings Target by 85%, Facing Conservative Backlash

The Department of Government Efficiency now projects $150 billion in savings, down from the initial $1 trillion goal, as experts question the credibility of its methods.

Elon Musk informed Donald Trump's Cabinet that the Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) realistic savings target is now $150 billion, an 85% reduction from the original $1 trillion promise.
A New York Times analysis revealed that DOGE's reported savings include billion-dollar errors and speculative calculations about future spending that may not materialize.
Conservative and libertarian experts, including Romina Boccia of the Cato Institute and Nat Malkus of the American Enterprise Institute, criticized DOGE's methods, describing the savings claims as overstated or fabricated.
DOGE officials announced savings from a canceled contract that did not actually exist, calculating the purported savings down to the cent despite the contract's absence.
Federal contracting expert Steven L. Schooner warned that it is too early to accurately assess the impact of DOGE's cost-cutting measures due to uncertainties in federal spending and contracting processes.