Former President Donald Trump has stated his intention to return funds saved to American citizens, which were achieved through cuts made by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
In an interview released by the Associated Press, Trump expressed his willingness to consider distributing a “20% dividend” from money saved by DOGE back to taxpayers, although he did not provide further details on what that would entail.
The precise or estimated amount of these savings remains unclear. Nevertheless, Trump mentioned that the potential 20% stimulus check would be “a lot.”
He stated that the checks would be distributed to “the taxpayer.”
A White House memo outlining the presidential action indicates that the Trump administration set up the temporary organization DOGE to cut federal spending and enhance government efficiency and productivity.
Tech entrepreneur Musk was appointed to lead the cost-cutting initiative and has since terminated thousands of federal contracts and leases, aiming to save the government $1 billion in expenditures by September of this year.
In Massachusetts, DOGE terminated 17 commercial leases, including funding for a Western Mass. group combating housing discrimination.
As of March 11, DOGE has reportedly saved about $105 billion in federal spending, equivalent to $652 per taxpayer, based on information available on the temporary organization’s website.
The $105 billion estimate, along with other findings shared on DOGE’s “Wall of Receipts,” has faced scrutiny. The New York Times, NPR, and various other media outlets have highlighted inaccuracies in DOGE’s claimed savings.
Associated Press reporters indicate that one-third of the canceled contracts listed on the temporary organization’s website will not yield any savings for the overall federal budget.
Regardless of the accuracy of the savings reported by DOGE, Congress must approve the proposed DOGE “dividend” before any stimulus checks can be distributed to taxpayers.
