Overview

• DOGE reported that since 2020, over $382 million in unemployment benefits were paid to claimants with impossible birthdates, including individuals over 115 years old, children aged 1 to 5, and people with future birthdates.
• One case involved a claimant with a birth year of 2154 who received $41,000 in benefits, according to DOGE's findings posted on X.
• Elon Musk, who leads DOGE, called the findings 'crazy' and suggested taxpayers were funding fraudulent claims for 'fake people,' though the source of the anomalies remains unclear.
• Critics, including Republican Sen. Mike Lee, have questioned DOGE's competence, with some suggesting the anomalies may stem from data entry errors rather than deliberate fraud.
• The revelations intensify scrutiny of DOGE's reforms, which were established by President Trump to reduce federal spending but have faced backlash over controversial cuts and alleged mismanagement.