Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) recently announced a significant achievement, claiming to have slashed $65 billion from federal spending. This marks a sharp increase from its earlier reported figure of $55 billion. However, this declaration comes under scrutiny as questions arise about the authenticity and accountability of the savings. The primary evidence supporting these claims, known as the "wall of receipts," underwent unexplained deletions on Tuesday, casting doubt on the credibility of the reported figures.
The "wall of receipts" initially listed itemized savings amounting to $16.6 billion. Yet, following the deletions, only $9.6 billion remains accounted for. Notably, the five largest items contributing to these purported savings have been discreetly removed without any public explanation. Among these was a significant $1.9 billion item attributed to a cut at the Treasury Department. This item was based on a contract canceled last year, raising concerns about the accuracy of the reported savings.
One particular error involved the budget of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The entire budget of the immigration agency is approximately $8 billion. However, the cost savings should have been recorded at $8 million, not $8 billion, as previously claimed. The initial savings listed included a single cut mistakenly counted three times, further highlighting discrepancies in the reported figures.
The deletions from the "wall of receipts" were first reported by The New York Times, which noted that:
"The people have so far been delivered is a 'saving' to the costs of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) listed on the 'wall of receipts' as being worth $8bn." – The New York Times
Despite the scrutiny, a White House spokesperson commented that Musk's initiative had effectively "identified billions of dollars in savings." However, they refrained from providing further details regarding the legitimacy or verification process of these savings.