Trimming the Fat: How Trump and Musk Are Taking on Government Waste

As we speak, President Trump and Elon Musk are tackling the national deficit head-on, cutting through layers of government inefficiency with the newly repurposed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). This agency has already clawed back billions in wasteful spending and uncovered even more fraud and abuse. The latest bombshell? A staggering $2 trillion sent overseas since 2003 to individuals ineligible for Medicare and Medicaid benefits.

Two. Trillion. Dollars. That’s more than last year’s entire national deficit. To put it in perspective, that money could have built $400,000 homes for five million American families. Think about that.

According to the Social Security database, over 12 million people aged 120 or older are still marked as alive. Listen to President Trump break it down this week:

The oldest living person in the U.S. is 114 years old. These database errors don’t necessarily mean checks are going out to 150-year-olds—but it doesn’t mean they’re not, either. The point is, it’s a mess, and it’s unacceptable.

This kind of fraud is exactly what DOGE is uncovering as it digs into federal databases. But how is DOGE able to do this? Democrats are crying foul, calling it unconstitutional and illegal. Here’s New York Attorney General Letitia James wagging her finger at the process:

News flash—Trump and Musk aren’t acting above the law. They’re holding government agencies accountable to the American taxpayers funding them. But the mainstream media won’t have it. Listen to these meltdowns:

So, what does the law actually say? How does DOGE work?

Trump didn’t create an entirely new government agency. Instead, he took the existing U.S. Digital Service (USDS), originally established under Obama to modernize government tech, and redirected its mission. This gave DOGE access to government databases—legally. And that’s a problem for Democrats because they created USDS in Congress. In other words, it’s the law of the land.

Here’s text from the executive order issued by the White House:

Trump kept the USDS but rebranded it as the United States DOGE Service. Same acronym, different purpose.

By using an already-funded department, Trump avoided having to beg Congress for money. He also ensured that the initiative remained within legal bounds.

Democrats and pundits claim Trump and Musk are flying blind, but it’s clear Trump had legal experts guiding him from day one.

The USDS was created under 44 USCS Chapter 36 to develop government technology. Shifting its focus to evaluating inefficiencies wasn’t a stretch—it was a natural progression. Obama himself believed in efficiency and modernization. Listen:

Common sense, right? Democrats thought so—until Trump made it happen.

Obama’s USDS had access to private records, and Democrats had no issue with it. Now that Trump is in charge, suddenly, they care about privacy? No—they care that they got played.

Trump also used 5 USC 3161, which allows the creation of temporary government teams, to bring in Musk’s experts for an 18-month audit. This made DOGE legally bulletproof and eliminated the risk of legal challenges that a new, permanent entity might have faced.

DOGE teams are now embedded in every federal agency, each with a leader, lawyer, HR specialist, and engineer. Their mission? To overhaul software, identify waste, and expose fraud. And they’re doing it legally.

DOGE’s access to government databases is already uncovering fraud in the IRS. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller lays it out:

Democrats are scrambling to block DOGE from accessing IRS records, but the law is on DOGE’s side. Judges are already ruling that DOGE is operating within its legal rights.

Judge denies states’ bid to curtail DOGE’s powers

This week, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan dismissed attempts by 14 Democratic attorneys general to stop DOGE, stating there was no evidence of harm to their states.

How exactly is government transparency ‘harmful’?

Even Bill Clinton slashed 400,000 government jobs and balanced the budget in his day. Listen:

It’s time for Democrats to drop their Trump derangement syndrome and work toward government efficiency. But that ship has sailed. Thanks to Trump’s airtight legal team, DOGE will continue saving billions—whether Democrats like it or not.

Oh, and one more thing—a very big thing.

Trump’s proposing the DOGE Dividend: a refund to taxpayers of 20% of recovered funds. If DOGE claws back $500 billion, that’s $100 billion straight to taxpayers—around $675 per person, assuming 150 million taxpayers. And if this becomes an annual payout?

How do you think that’ll play in 2026? My guess? Very, very well.

BY STEVE GRUBER

Originally posted on Steve Gruber.com ➜

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