The 4 Most Hotly Debated DOGE Budget Cuts Since Trump Took Office
Written by
John Csiszar
Edited by
Zuri Anderson
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President Donald Trump has not even been in office for 100 days during his second term, but he’s already generated enough controversy to last a lifetime. The Department of Government Efficiency, which even bears the tongue-in-cheek nickname DOGE, is a great example.
Certainly, the idea of getting rid of government waste and spending sounds like a good idea, regardless of whether you identify with the right or the left. But some of the blunt, broad strokes that have come out of the DOGE are raising a lot of questions and concerns, particularly among those directly affected.
Here are some of the most hotly debated budget cuts since the start of Trump’s second term.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
Before Trump, Elon Musk and DOGE attacked the USAID, it was the primary agency responsible for distributing and administering overseas humanitarian aid. It’s a political agency designed to assist strategic countries overseas as part of the government’s “diplomacy, development and defense” approach to international engagement, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. However, DOGE has all but obliterated the USAID, wiping out nearly 14,000 jobs and leaving an estimated 300 behind.
The Department of Education
One of the big targets for the DOGE has been the Department of Education (DOE). Trump even directed the Secretary of Education to take “all lawful steps to shut down the department … as quickly as possible,” according to U.S. News and World Report.
On Mar. 11, the Trump Administration took its first big step in that direction, cutting roughly half of the DOE workforce in one fell swoop, with more cuts likely to follow. The move is controversial for a number of reasons, but it all may come down to perspective.
The administration sees it as a way to “rightfully” shift the power of education to the states, and to cut the excess costs from the federal budget. But other observers see the potential elimination of the DOE as hurting students and families, particularly those with disabilities or from unprivileged backgrounds.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was created in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. As its name suggests, it was designed to help protect consumers from financial exploitation. But on Feb. 7, 2025, Elon Musk tweeted “CFPB RIP” on X. Part of what makes this assault controversial is that it may directly benefit Musk himself.
According to NPR, the CFPB would have been directly responsible for regulating X itself as it launched a money payments service known as “X Money Account.” The obvious conflict of interest this would create is one of the many reasons why the targeting of the CFPB is raising some eyebrows.
The IRS
While no taxpayer wants the IRS nosing around in their affairs, there’s no denying that having a federal agency keep an eye out for tax fraud and ensure compliance with federal laws is important. But the DOGE is looking to cut the agency’s staffing by 20% as soon as May 15, according to CNN.
The move to some degree seems out of character for the presidential administration, as it is seeking to raise more revenue through its tariff policy and cost-cutting. But trimming the staff of an agency that can actually bring in more revenue through successful auditing and policing of tax fraud runs counter to that idea. Of course, with a smaller IRS staff and fewer audits, many more wealthy Americans will avoid scrutiny of their taxes, leading some observers to suggest a rise in tax fraud and preservation of wealth for the rich.
The Bottom Line
There’s simply no way to separate politics from the cuts the Department of Government Efficiency is undertaking. Ostensibly, most Americans can agree that cutting wasteful spending from government operations is a positive. But laying off tens of thousands of workers in essential government departments without much of a review, if any, is certainly controversial.
As Trump’s second term unfolds, it’s likely that even more of his decisions, particularly the ones run through the DOGE, will be hotly debated.
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