This week marked President Donald Trump’s 100th day in office, and during this time, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) claimed to have cut at least $160 billion in waste, fraud, and abuse within the federal administration.
When Trump inaugurated the agency on his first day, DOGE set a lofty goal of trimming $2 trillion from the federal budget.
As per the Ethics Bureau, certain “special government officials,” like Musk, can serve in the federal government for up to 130 days each year, a situation that will apply as of May 30.
On Fox News Channel’s Jesse Watters Primetime, Democrats were seen opposing and Republicans exposed the controversial aspects surrounding DOGE that Trump celebrated upon his return to the White House. During a broadcast, “Doge Boys” shared some striking savings secured by the department over the past year.
Noteworthy DOGE Cuts in Trump’s First 100 Days
Funding Transfers to Former Taliban Members
Earlier this year, DOGE found that the US Institute of Peace (USIP) made a $132,000 payment to former Taliban member Mohammad Qassem Halimi, a previous Afghan protocol chief. However, DOGE announced on March 31 that the contract was canceled.
Halimi had spent a year detained at Bagram Air Force Base beginning January 2, 2002, and was appointed Minister of Hajj and Religious Affairs in Afghanistan back in 2020.
“It’s ironic that the American Peace Institute, an entity we’ve scrutinized heavily, has committed funds to things like private jets and $130,000 contracts with former Taliban members,” a representative stated.
USIP has not immediately responded to requests for comment from Fox News Digital.
Looking Ahead: Elon Musk and DOGE’s Future
In a recent event at the White House Oval Office, Musk discussed the ambitions for DOGE as they reflect on their first 100 days.
Expensive Conferences in Las Vegas
Fox News Digital reported that schools nationwide spent about $200 billion on various expenses, including hotel accommodations in Las Vegas and ice cream trucks. Notably, Utah’s Granite School District allocated $86,000 from the Covid Relief Fund for hotel rooms at Caesars Palace during an educational conference. The district later denied any wrongdoing.
Additionally, it was revealed that a $60,000 portion of this fund was spent on swimming pool passes, and schools in California used it to purchase ice cream trucks.
Musk remarked, “They were essentially throwing parties with taxpayer dollars,” during the Thursday program.
Millions for ‘Sesame Street’ in Iraq
Senator Joni Ernst, who has collaborated with Musk to pinpoint waste, disclosed that the US Agency for International Development (USAID) approved $20 million for a “Sesame Street” initiative in Iraq. Under the Biden administration, this funding was directed to a nonprofit, Sesame Workshop, to create “Ahlan Simsim Iraq,” aimed at fostering inclusion and understanding among diverse groups.
Significant Improper Payments Identified
DOGE has received assistance from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), which recently disclosed that federal agencies could waste up to $162 billion in “inappropriate payments,” a decrease of $74 billion from the previous year. Major waste was identified in programs from the HHS Medicaid and earned income tax credits to the USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Reducing DEI Expenses
Since taking office, Trump has expressed intentions to cut down on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) spending. DOGE has claimed to have eliminated hundreds of millions in such contracts in recent months. Recently, they collaborated with the National Science Foundation to terminate several “wasteful” DEI grants, resulting in a savings of $233 million.
The Department of Defense is reportedly looking to save about $80 million by scaling back unnecessary DEI programs. Earlier this year, Trump’s administration also announced cuts to funding for museums and library services linked to DEI initiatives, while claims indicated a cancellation of over $100 million in grants for DEI training.
Aubrie Spady contributed to this report for Fox News Digital.
