Elon Musk's Federal Cost-Cutting Initiative Faces Backlash, Errors, and Legal Scrutiny

The Department of Government Efficiency's transparency issues and contested spending cuts provoke protests, lawsuits, and demands for accountability.

DOGE, led by Elon Musk, claims $115 billion in federal savings, but errors and unverifiable data have undermined its credibility.
A federal judge has ordered Musk and DOGE to release internal records and justify mass layoffs and spending cuts, following a lawsuit challenging Musk's authority.
The Congressional Budget Office reported that federal spending and the deficit increased in February 2025, contradicting DOGE's claims of reduced expenditures.
DOGE has been criticized for deleting key identifiers from its online reports, making it harder to verify claimed savings and fueling transparency concerns.
Protests against DOGE's cuts, including layoffs and funding terminations for critical programs, have grown, with Musk and Trump facing mounting public and political backlash.