Is it possible to receive a rebate check from Elon Musk’s newly proposed Department of Government Efficiency? The tech entrepreneur mentioned that he plans to “check with” President Donald Trump regarding this notion.
Musk’s remarks were in reply to a tweet on X from James Fishback, an investor, CEO, and co-founder of Azoria Partners, who proposed the concept of a DOGE Dividend.
In his Tuesday message on Musk’s social media platform, Fishback envisioned a situation where DOGE reaches its $2 trillion savings target, allocates $400 billion of that amount, and distributes it back to 79 million U.S. households as $5,000 checks.
“American taxpayers should receive a ‘DOGE Dividend,’” Fishback stated in a post on February 14. “20% [of] the funds that DOGE saves ought to be returned to hardworking Americans as a tax refund. After all, it was their money initially!”
In his response, Musk indicated that he would “check with the president” about the DOGE dividend proposal.
The pressing question: Can DOGE uncover $2 trillion in savings?
During a January 8 interview with Mark Penn on X, Musk noted that a $2 trillion figure represented the “best-case scenario.” He further expressed that there was a reasonable chance of achieving half that amount.
Up to this point, DOGE claims to have saved $55 billion in federal expenditures. However, according to Bloomberg News, its website only verifies $16.6 billion of that total.
One contract cancellation cited by DOGE, allegedly valued at $8 billion, was actually worth just $8 million, as reported by CBS News.
Musk, 53, is a supporter of Trump and was selected by the president to assist in managing DOGE. However, a White House official clarified in a federal court affidavit filed on Tuesday that Musk is not the administrator of DOGE, as highlighted by ABC News.
The concept of the federal government disbursing checks to the American populace isn’t a new idea.
During Trump’s initial term, stimulus checks were distributed to Americans in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This practice continued under former President Joe Biden, who along with his administration provided checks as part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
