The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) announced in 2025 that its budget actions saved $214 billion through staff reductions, contract terminations and program cuts. The Trump administration said the measures marked major progress toward fiscal discipline. However, analysts reviewing the data found that many of those savings were overstated, temporary or unverifiable. Below is a look at the top DOGE cuts that did not pan out in 2025.
Earlier this year, Fox News reported DOGE announced the elimination of 108 “wasteful contracts” and said the contracts had a ceiling value of $250 million and projected savings of $70 million. Independent data from GovSpend show that while DOGE tracked about $329 billion in contract value, only $2.51 billion had been formally de-obligated, meaning the funds were released but not necessarily saved.