Trump Wants DOGE to be More Aggressive, Elon Responds

President Donald Trump expressed his approval of Elon Musk’s leadership at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) on Saturday but urged the tech billionaire to take a more aggressive approach in cutting government waste.

Trump posted on Truth Social, writing, “ELON IS DOING A GREAT JOB, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HIM GET MORE AGGRESSIVE. REMEMBER, WE HAVE A COUNTRY TO SAVE, BUT ULTIMATELY, TO MAKE GREATER THAN EVER BEFORE. MAGA!”

Shortly after Trump’s post, Musk responded on X with a simple but direct reply: “Will do, Mr. President!”

Will do, Mr. President! pic.twitter.com/2VMS2wY7mw

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 22, 2025

Dennis Quaid’s #1 Warning for Americans

The Department of Government Efficiency, established on January 20, 2025, has reported significant cost reductions in its efforts to streamline federal spending.

According to DOGE’s website, as of February 17, the agency has saved an estimated $55 billion through fraud detection, contract cancellations and renegotiations, asset sales, workforce reductions, grant cancellations, program adjustments, and regulatory cuts.

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Despite its reported savings, DOGE has faced sharp criticism from several Democratic lawmakers.

Some have expressed concerns over the agency’s broad access to federal systems, including the Treasury Department’s payment system. Others have accused Musk of using his position to serve his own financial interests.

Rep. Val Hoyle (D-Ore.) issued a statement condemning the agency, saying, “It is impossible for us to do that important work when unelected billionaire Elon Musk and his lackeys are set on burning down the government.”

She further accused Musk of attempting to “line his own pockets and rip off Americans.”

One of DOGE’s primary focuses has been eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives across government agencies.

The agency has canceled numerous federal contracts that it deemed wasteful, citing millions of dollars in taxpayer savings.

Among the targeted programs was the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which funded multiple DEI-related projects abroad. According to the White House, DOGE’s cuts included:

• $1.5 million allocated to DEI initiatives in Serbia
• $70,000 for a DEI-themed musical in Ireland
• $47,000 for a “transgender opera” in Colombia
• Push for Taxpayer Refunds

Beyond cutting waste, DOGE is also exploring ways to return some of its savings to taxpayers.

James Fishback, CEO of investment firm Azoria, has proposed issuing direct dividend payments to Americans using a portion of the funds saved by the agency.

Fishback outlined the idea on his X account, writing, “DOGE should send the savings it created back to hard-working Americans as a tax refund check. It was their money in the first place!”

American taxpayers deserve a ‘DOGE Dividend’: 20% the money that DOGE saves should be sent back to hard-working Americans as a tax refund check. It was their money in the first place!

At $2 trillion in DOGE savings and 78 million tax-paying households, this is a $5,000 refund… pic.twitter.com/mmgfWcZAOf

— James Fishback (@j_fishback) February 14, 2025

In a formal letter, Fishback detailed a plan for issuing these payments after DOGE’s scheduled expiration in July 2026, suggesting that the refunds be funded “exclusively with a portion of the total savings delivered by DOGE.”

At the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Musk confirmed that Trump “is supportive” of the dividend proposal.

However, as of February 22, no official action has been taken on the plan.

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