Trump Signs EO Giving DOGE Even More Power to Shrink Government

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to ramp up efforts in cutting government waste and improving efficiency. The move strengthens the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and puts agency heads in direct coordination with its team to trim spending.

Key Facts:

Trump’s executive order directs all agency heads to work with DOGE to reduce government waste and spending.
The initiative seeks to cut 15% of fraud and waste in government contracts and grants.
Senior adviser Elon Musk, a major influence on DOGE, emphasized the need to curb deficit spending, which now exceeds $2 trillion annually.
The order mandates agencies to conduct a full review of contracting policies and report monthly to DOGE.
Amy Gleason, a healthcare executive and former U.S. Digital Service official, is the current administrator of DOGE, not Musk.

The Rest of The Story:

Trump’s latest executive order builds on previous efforts to rein in government excess, expanding DOGE’s role in overseeing spending and hiring.

The order requires agency leaders to work closely with DOGE to identify inefficiencies, trim unnecessary expenditures, and report their progress monthly.

🚨 NEW: President Trump just signed an executive order to further reign in government waste and officially implement @DOGE's cost efficiency initiative.

Here is the text of the order:

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United…

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 26, 2025

During a cabinet meeting, Musk, a key Trump adviser, stressed that the country can no longer sustain its soaring deficit.

With federal debt interest payments now outpacing defense spending, he positioned DOGE as a critical force in achieving cost reductions.

Trump confirmed broad support for Musk’s involvement, though some officials may have reservations.

The White House clarified that while Musk plays a significant role in shaping DOGE’s strategy, he is not its official administrator.

That position belongs to Amy Gleason, who has served in both Republican and Democratic administrations.

Commentary:

Trump’s executive order is a welcome move toward fiscal responsibility.

For too long, Washington has operated with little regard for wasteful spending, leading to a national debt surpassing $36 trillion.

A $2 trillion annual deficit is unsustainable, and action is overdue.

Giving DOGE more power to find and eliminate inefficiencies is a step in the right direction.

Musk’s involvement brings a business-minded approach that prioritizes results over bureaucracy.

His track record of streamlining operations at Tesla and SpaceX suggests he may help bring a culture of accountability to government spending.

Opposition to these reforms will likely come from entrenched interests that thrive on government bloat.

But with deficit spending spiraling out of control, there’s no room for complacency.

Every dollar wasted is a dollar taken from taxpayers, and eliminating fraud and inefficiencies should be a bipartisan goal.

This initiative may be just the beginning.

If Trump continues down this path, we could see even more aggressive efforts to shrink the size of government, ensuring that taxpayer dollars are spent efficiently.

The Bottom Line:

Trump’s executive order strengthens DOGE’s ability to cut government waste, an urgent necessity given the nation’s debt crisis.

Musk’s leadership role signals a results-driven approach to tackling inefficiencies.

With the federal deficit at dangerous levels, reducing fraud and unnecessary spending isn’t just smart policy—it’s essential for America’s future.