Doge Gets Mixed Reviews From Conservatives Who Have Long Wanted Major Budget Cuts

Conservatives who have spent decades promoting deep cuts to government are giving mixed reviews to the Department of Government Efficiency , the Elon Musk-led project to slash the federal workforce and reduce or end disfavored programs.

The Associated Press interviewed four veteran budget hawks, including some who have worked on Republican presidential campaigns predating Musk or President Donald Trump becoming dominant in GOP politics.

Some say Musk's early targets demonstrate success and show more potential than previous efforts to downsize government due to his unique access and influence. Others say it's too early to tell and argue that DOGE has stoked conservative outrage about specific agencies without going after much bigger pieces of the federal budget, like defense spending or programs with bipartisan support like Medicare and Social Security.

A list of savings provided by the White House last week noted at least 2.2 billion in initial savings identified by the group. The DOGE website has since noted at least 5.6 billion. Any total so far is a tiny fraction of Musk's initial goal of 2 trillion, the size of the federal budget deficit, or even the 1 trillion he has since mentioned more regularly.

Here's what the budget hawks said: