Musk Floats DOGE Dividend Idea; Trump Considers Proposal

Elon Musk has expressed interest in a proposal to distribute savings from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to U.S. taxpayers as a "DOGE dividend." President Trump has also suggested he is considering a similar plan.

The proposed DOGE dividend involves using savings from federal spending cuts, asset sales, and fraud reduction. DOGE claims to have achieved an estimated $55 billion in savings to date. Musk has mentioned a potential goal of cutting $2 trillion in federal spending through DOGE. One version of the plan mentioned distributing $5,000 checks to taxpayers.

The federal government ran a budget deficit of over $1.8 trillion in fiscal year 2024. Musk has stated that controlling the deficit is a priority. DOGE's efforts to cut government spending have faced legal challenges.