The Horn News

Proudly American, Fiercely Independent

Elon Musk’s final $10 billion DOGE move

By:

Elon Musk has left the building.

Musk announced that his time working in the Trump administration as a “Special Government Employee” is drawing to a close, and he thanked President Donald Trump.

“As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending,” Musk wrote in a post on X.

“The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”

In November 2024, Trump picked Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), noting that they would “pave the way” for the Trump administration to “dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.”

Thanks to Musk’s efforts, DOGE has saved nearly $175 billion according to their website.

But despite Musk’s departure, he did fulfill one final act during his time with DOGE — a move that will save taxpayers billions of dollars.

Office of Management and Budget (OMB) head Russ Vought announced yesterday that the first bill codifying DOGE cuts would be coming next week, just as Musk is leaving.

One of the biggest rounds of cuts identified by DOGE will come from the Pentagon.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth delivered an important statement on X on Wednesday in which he said they’d identified an enormous amount in potential cuts thanks to DOGE.

He said a big part of that is finding out what works and what doesn’t work, including identifying an overreliance on “management consultants and contractors.”

Hegseth said they likely had more contractors than they had civilian employees.

Hegseth said after reviewing these contracts with DOGE, they’d identified $5 billion in savings, in addition to the $5 billion they’d already identified.

That’s “$10 billion in real savings at the Department of Defense,” Hegseth explained.

“And we’re just getting started.” If they found $5 billion in two weeks, think what they could do with a little more time.

Hegseth outlined how he’d delegated Deputy Secretary of Defense Steve Feinberg to work with DOGE and the services to review all their consulting contracts. They needed to be focused on financial responsibility, stewardship, and warfighters.

That’s billions in extra waste and savings thanks to the work of Musk and DOGE.

CNBC reported that as part of Musk’s role as a “special government employee,” he is only allowed to work for the administration for “130 days in a calendar year.”

However, despite his limited role, many took to social media to praise Musk for his efforts as he leaves.

“The work DOGE has done to eliminate government waste and corruption — the rot embedded deep within Washington — is among the most valuable services ever rendered to government,” White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller wrote in a post on X. “And the work has only just begun.”

“Thank you, Elon Musk,” Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk wrote in a post. “A grateful nation thanks you. You changed the culture of the federal government for the better — an incredibly difficult feat — a legacy that will have ramifications for many, many administrations to come.”

About the Author

Cory Templeman is an experienced writer and researcher who has worked with some of the biggest names in the publishing business. Cory lives in South Carolina with his wife and three kids.