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Government Efficiency Claims Misleading; Spending Actually Rises

12/23/2025

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Summary

Story summary

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, claimed it cut over 29,000 contracts and grants to save $1 trillion.
However, a New York Times analysis showed federal spending actually rose.
Many of DOGE's reported savings were incorrect, with 28 of the top 40 claims wrong.
The largest claimed savings, including $7.9 billion from Defense contracts, proved misleading, and overall the effort did not significantly reduce spending.

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Story summary

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, claimed it cut over 29,000 contracts and grants to save $1 trillion.
However, a New York Times analysis showed federal spending actually rose.
Many of DOGE's reported savings were incorrect, with 28 of the top 40 claims wrong.
The largest claimed savings, including $7.9 billion from Defense contracts, proved misleading, and overall the effort did not significantly reduce spending.