- Social media users are calling for stimulus checks funded by cuts made by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
- DOGE has made significant cuts to multiple federal agencies, resulting in layoffs and furloughs.
- DOGE head Elon Musk responded to the request on X, saying that he ‘will check with the president.’
President Donald Trump announced that he’s considering an idea first proposed by an investment firm CEO to issue stimulus checks to Americans from the claimed savings of Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency.
“We’re considering giving 20% of the DOGE savings to American citizens and 20% to paying down the debt,” Trump said in a tangent during the Saudi-sponsored FII PRIORITY Summit in Miami Beach on Wednesday.
The pronouncement came on the same day as reporting from USA TODAY showed that DOGE’s website published misleading information on the amount of money it has claimed to save, including a nearly $8 billion error.
DOGE has claimed to save the government $55 billion, but evidence of the claim published on the department website is primarily contracts cancelled at departments targeted by the Trump administration.
DOGE’s documented canceled contracts, grants and real estate leases on the “wall of receipts” page amounted to about $16.5 billion − an inflated figure due to the inclusion of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement contract that the quasi-government agency said was worth $8 billion that was shown to actually be valued at $8 million
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By Wednesday morning, the itemized savings equaled $8.5 billion, excluding the $7.9 billion error − far short of the claimed $55 billion.
Stimulus payments from DOGE savings were floated by Azoria investment firm CEO James Fishback, who lobbied on X for Musk to issue a stimulus check based on the claimed savings. Others on the platform and TikTok echoed the sentiment, with one video claiming, on dubious factual grounds, that taxpayers could get as much as $8,000. The video has over 5 million views since it was posted Sunday.
Musk responded to Fishback’s post, saying, “Will check with the President.“
Here’s what you need to know about stimulus payments and DOGE.
Is there a DOGE stimulus check?
There has been no indication that DOGE will issue a stimulus check as a result of cost-cutting measures. Any form of stimulus payment issued by the U.S. government would have to be approved by Congress.
Did people receive stimulus checks in 2025?
Some did, yes.
The Internal Revenue Service issued a stimulus check to taxpayers who did not claim a Recovery Rebate Credit on their 2021 tax returns. The credit was for taxpayers who did not receive previous stimulus payments.
The stimulus, announced in December under the Biden administration, was authorized after internal IRS data showed that many eligible taxpayers who filed a 2021 tax return did not claim the Recovery Rebate Credit.
The stimulus payments were issued in December and January. Those who were eligible received up to $1,400, according to the IRS.
Can someone still claim the $1,400 stimulus check?
Taxpayers who did not file a 2021 tax return may still be eligible for the stimulus check if they file their return and claim the Recovery Rebate Credit by April 15, according to the IRS.
What has DOGE cut?
The quasi-government agency has made drastic cuts across multiple federal agencies, and thousands of workers have been fired or put on administrative leave.
Agencies that have already seen cuts include the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Department of Education, the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
This story has been updated with new information
Contributing: Joey Garrison
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