DOGE's wild, unverifiable savings claims discredited in US government report

A report from the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) has found that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cannot verify 96% of the savings it claimed from grant terminations. The report suggests that DOGE's 'Wall of Receipts' lacked sufficient methodology and documentation.
Why it matters
The findings challenge the credibility of a high-profile government efficiency initiative and raise questions about the transparency of executive branch cost-cutting claims.
Overpromise, under-deliver DOGE’s wild, unverifiable savings claims discredited in US government report DOGE’s inflated “Wall of Receipts”: 96% of grant savings unverifiable, GAO says.
33 Elon Musk at the White House on March 9, 2025 in Washington, DC. Credit: Getty Images | Samuel Corum Elon Musk at the White House on March 9, 2025 in Washington, DC. Credit: Getty Images | Samuel Corum Text settings Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only Learn more Minimize to nav It won’t come as a surprise that Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) didn’t save taxpayers nearly as much as it claimed. Analysis from outside the government showed savings claims were heavily inflated, and now the government’s own watchdog has said it wasn’t able to confirm savings claims made in DOGE’s so-called “Wall of Receipts.”
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