Fact check: Did doge waste 21 billion

1. Summary of the results

The analyses reveal that DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) did indeed waste approximately $21.7 billion in taxpayer funds within six months, according to multiple sources. The largest component of this waste was $14.8 billion spent on the Deferred Resignation Program, which paid approximately 200,000 federal workers not to work for up to eight months ^{[1] [2]}. This program essentially compensated employees to remain idle rather than working or leaving their positions.

The remaining $6.9 billion in waste was attributed to other inefficiencies that could have been redirected toward employee training, upgraded technology, or genuine efficiency improvements ^[3]. This information comes from a Senate report documenting the Trump administration's spending practices ^[2].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question lacks several crucial pieces of context:

• DOGE claimed significant savings elsewhere: While wasting $21.7 billion, DOGE's website claimed $175 billion in total savings, though only $61.5 billion of that amount was properly itemized ^[4]
• DOGE's broader activities included shuttering government agencies, defunding programs, and conducting mass layoffs ^[4], suggesting the waste occurred alongside other cost-cutting measures
• DOGE fell short of Elon Musk's initial promise to cut $2 trillion in federal spending, and even the $180 billion in claimed savings has been "dogged by inaccuracies, errors, omissions and overstatements" ^[5]
• Political dynamics: The waste occurred during a period of significant political tension, including a Musk-Trump feud that ultimately led to Musk's exit from DOGE ^[6]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question "Did doge waste 21 billion" appears factually accurate based on the evidence, but it presents potential bias through:

• Lack of context: The question isolates the waste figure without mentioning DOGE's claimed savings or broader restructuring efforts
• Ambiguity: The lowercase "doge" could confuse readers into thinking about Dogecoin cryptocurrency rather than the Department of Government Efficiency
• Incomplete framing: The question doesn't acknowledge that this waste occurred alongside other government efficiency measures, potentially misleading readers about the full scope of DOGE's activities

The $21.7 billion waste figure appears to be legitimate based on Senate reporting ^[2], but those who benefit from criticizing government efficiency efforts might emphasize this waste while downplaying any legitimate savings achieved.