Donald Trump and Elon Musk insist they’re saving billions through the Department of Government Efficiency’s sweeping purge of federal bureaucracy. However, government spending has actually increased since Trump’s inauguration.

A Reuters analysis published Wednesday revealed that between January 21 and February 20, the Trump administration spent $710 billion—nearly a billion more than Joe Biden spent during the same period in 2024.

Most of this spending has gone toward health and retirement programs, as well as interest payments. Meanwhile, essential services like Medicare, global health initiatives, and air travel safety have either faced cuts or are slated for reductions.

Through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Elon Musk has laid off over 20,000 federal employees and drastically reduced funding for several agencies, including the U.S. Agency for International Development, which had a $42 billion budget in 2023.

Musk aims to slash the federal deficit by $1 trillion by 2026, a target that now appears unattainable given the administration’s current spending trajectory.

Despite Musk and Trump’s promises, many of DOGE’s cost-cutting claims have been exposed as misleading or outright false. The department boasted of canceling an $8 billion ICE contract, but The New York Times reported the actual amount was only $8 million.

Meanwhile, an investigation by The Washington Post found that hundreds of contracts DOGE claimed to have canceled had already expired, meaning they saved nothing.

Now, DOGE is facing mounting legal challenges and fierce criticism from within the GOP, raising questions about whether Trump and Musk’s efficiency drive is anything more than political theater.

Based on Analysis by Reuters - https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-government-spending-has-not-slowed-under-trump-so-far-data-shows-2025-02-26/

Last modified: February 27, 2025