Center for American Progress

Point: Deception and Destruction — Musk and DOGE’s Real Goal
In the News

Point: Deception and Destruction — Musk and DOGE’s Real Goal

In an op-ed published by InsideSources, Ben Olinsky argues that DOGE’s sweeping cuts are deliberately destroying the parts of government Americans rely on for basic services and protections.

Waste, fraud and abuse. These are the seemingly magic words the world’s richest man incants to justify the chainsaw he’s taking to our government in the form of his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). However, as Elon Musk steps back to a part-time role, the question remains: Were these words a mantra or mere flimflam?

The Trump administration’s stated goal of reducing government waste, fraud and abuse is broadly popular among Americans, who experience the government’s bureaucracy firsthand and may not feel like their problems are addressed. Still, the face of the administration’s purported efforts to combat waste, fraud and abuse is widely unpopular, falling to a 33 percent approval rating. Where’s the disconnect between the diagnosis and the treatment?

The above excerpt was originally published in InsideSources. Click here to view the full article.

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Author

Ben Olinsky

Senior Vice President, Structural Reform and Governance; Senior Fellow

Department

Structural Reform and Governance

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