What is DOGE? Will Trump send taxpayers a $5,000 stimulus check? Here's what to know
Should you expect a stimulus check from the Trump administration's DOGE? Is it a stimulus check, refund check, or dividend, and where would this money come from?
President Donald Trump said he's considering a plan to pay out $5,000 stimulus checks to taxpayers in the form of a 'DOGE dividend' during a speech on Wednesday. He explained it as part of taking 20% of the savings identified by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency and giving it back to the American taxpayers.
This 'DOGE dividend' idea was previously floated on Tuesday by Azoria investment firm CEO James Fishback on Musk's social media platform X, suggesting President Trump and Musk "should announce a ‘DOGE Dividend’ — a tax refund check sent to every taxpayer, funded exclusively with a portion of the total savings delivered by DOGE." Musk replied, "Will check with the President."
Here is what you need to know about a supposed DOGE check.
What is DOGE?
The Department of Government Efficiency, officially the U.S. DOGE Service Temporary Organization, is an initiative created by Trump and led by 'special government employee' Musk.
DOGE's mission was to reduce federal spending, streamline regulations, and modernize federal technology and software to enhance government efficiency and productivity.
Is DOGE actually saving money?
When it was introduced, DOGE's effort was to save as much as $2 trillion dollars a year. DOGE claims to have already saved $55 billion in government cuts so far, but the figure has not been verified. According to WHYY.org, those figures don't up.
The agency has implemented significant reductions across various federal departments, leading to widespread layoffs of federal employees. Among the affected departments are 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.
— Paste BN Network reporter Maria Francis contributed to this report.
This story was updated to add a photo gallery.