Fact Check: DOGE Claims $115 Billion in Government Cuts So Far

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) says it has cut $115 billion in government funding so far. Some media outlets scrutinized the claim far more than others did.

The Details: The figure represents a "combination of asset sales, contract/lease cancellations and renegotiations, fraud and improper payment deletion, grant cancellations, interest savings, programmatic changes, regulatory savings, and workforce reductions," according to doge.gov. The website shows receipts for roughly 30% of the full claimed savings.

'The Figures Don't Stack Up': An article from Fortune (Center) suggested the $115 billion number was misleading, and said DOGE's claims have "historically included inaccuracies and inflated numbers, stoking criticism for its chaotic approach and lack of government expertise." The article noted how DOGE "deleted several contracts from its wall of receipts after media reports undermined their legitimacy," and described DOGE's website as "littered" with errors. It also quoted an executive partner with Madison Dearborn Partners who believed "the total savings were overstated by up to 80%." No other outlets on the left had covered the $115 billion claim as of this writing.

Less Scrutiny: Articles from Fox Business (Lean Right) and The National Desk (Right) didn't push back on the claim and summarized DOGE's explanation of the cuts. Fox's report used words like "whopping,"staggering" and "huge" to describe the figure; the last paragraph said DOGE "has faced criticism over its access to federal systems, including the Treasury Department's payment system, as well as moves to cancel federal contracts and make cuts at various agencies."

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