DOGE: Delusions of Government Efficiency

A stark reality lurks under the regime's narratives and bluster.

Last week, President Trump claimed Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) had found something "horrible." This “horrible” discovery is yet to be announced, but the teasing statement perpetuates the popular narrative that DOGE is hard at work. The revolutionary agency is cutting waste and slashing treacherous left-wing influence in the federal government.

This version of reality is seductive and tells much of the population what they desperately want to hear: change has come, and powerful people have come to save us from evil forces. Despite flashy headlines and outlandish examples of spending (some of which have turned out to be false), DOGE’s actual role has nothing to do with government efficiency. It has everything to do with pacifying a rightly fed-up public.

Saying so is not a condemnation of the billions of dollars the agency claims to have saved (though some of the hard evidence is difficult to find). Rather, it's a sobering reminder of the reality of government and politics.

Case in point: Just this week, Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hesgeth bragged about an upcoming trillion-dollar military budget. The president proudly declared it “the biggest one we’ve ever done for the military.” However much Musk claims to have cut so far, it is a drop in the bucket compared to yet another year of astronomical defense spending. But this is not the only hole in the new regime's disingenuous messaging about balancing the budget and cutting waste.

The narrative

Shortly after Trump’s victory in November, both the House and Senate formed DOGE caucuses claiming to embody the DOGE spirit of eliminating waste and cutting the gargantuan debt. While the House DOGE caucus states clearly that they are separate from Musk's operation, they promise similar action:

"The bipartisan DOGE Caucus will lead government efficiency initiatives in the House of Representatives. The nation expects sweeping common-sense reform, and the DOGE Caucus will pave the way for the House of Representatives to streamline government operations and to save taxpayer money."

Announcing the creation of the Senate DOGE caucus, Senator Joni Ernst declared they were "ready to carry out critical oversight in Congress and use our legislative force to fight against the entrenched bureaucracy, trim the fat, and get Washington back to work for Americans.”

On the surface, it appears real transformation and accountability have come to Washington D.C. In reality, a quick examination of these caucuses reveals the same old rot dressed up as reform.

Doublespeak

In the House, MAGA and DOGE-aligned lawmakers had the opportunity to make immediate changes by voting against a continuing resolution for the budget that largely extended Biden-era spending levels through September. Instead, they rammed it through, and MAGA diehards and the president himself demonized Rep. Thomas Massie—the only Republican in the House to vote against it. Every House DOGE caucus member who voted on the bill voted in favor (my examination of the vote found two caucus members didn't have a vote logged in the roll call record).

Meanwhile, though House Republicans’ proposed budget allegedly seeks to cut spending by $2 trillion over a decade, it also includes language to raise the debt limit by $4 trillion. Massie explained his opposition to this budget plan: "We're going to add $328 billion to the deficit this year. We're going to add $295 billion to the deficit the year after that, and $242 billion to the deficit after that—under the rosiest assumptions. Why would I vote for that?" He doubted that these "rosiest assumptions" were even true. He also noted that “Over 10 years, this budget will add $20 trillion to US debt.” Yet again, members of the DOGE caucus still voted for it as Massie stood as the lone Republican in opposition.

This is to say nothing of the CARES Act and annual military spending bills, both of which have added trillions to the federal government's expenditures with widespread support from lawmakers in both parties.

In the Senate, things are hardly much better. Every Senate DOGE caucus member voted to push through the continuing resolution passed by the House. The only Senate Republican to vote against it, per the roll call record, was Rand Paul. Meanwhile, Senate Republicans voted in favor of the Senate version of the House budget proposal, also rife with exorbitant spending. The DOGE caucus voted in favor of it. Paul and Senator Susan Collins stood alone as the Republican opposition.

Earlier on, in February, Rand Paul introduced an amendment to the budget proposal to guarantee an "adequate amount of deficit reduction". Can you guess what happened? The amendment failed, with numerous Republicans—including several members of the Senate DOGE caucus—voting against it.

Again, this is to say nothing of votes like the CARES Act and NDAA year after year.

Musk allegedly expressed enthusiasm upon hearing that Congress could make DOGE cuts permanent with a rescissions package, which Rand Paul and a handful of others have requested. Paul reportedly said, “All the stuff they’re doing with DOGE is good. But it’s not real until we vote on it.” Despite Paul's request for a rescissions package, Musk and the White House have thus far failed to produce one. Trump has reportedly said he is "very interested" in codifying the cuts, but this is yet to occur. Recent reporting indicates it's unlikely the Senate will codify a bulk of DOGE cuts.

More harm than good

Aside from the predictable hypocrisy and false narrative of "cutting spending," other concerns abound. For one, Musk's conflicts of interest are glaring: he holds lucrative contracts with the federal government, including defense and intelligence deals. Further, announcements that the Department of Defense would cut spending by 8 percent drowned out the deeper reality that those cuts aren’t actually cuts—they are a redirection of funds to support Trump's agenda. Now, they brag about an upcoming trillion-dollar military budget.

Additionally, some independent journalists have warned that DOGE may be rapidly transitioning the federal government into a more technocratic operation where artificial intelligence serves as a mechanism to centralize power. Rather than making government more efficient in serving the people, DOGE may simply help the government become more effective at controlling them.

As with many Americans, I am pleased to see growing interest in the staggering problem of the national debt and spending. But without real action, the DOGE delusion may do more harm than good by misleading the public into believing the debt and out-of-control spending are being resolved. This, in turn, leads to less public scrutiny and skepticism and the unfortunate perpetuation of the status quo...with better branding.