20/02/2025
Elon Musk is considering a proposal to distribute a $5,000 refund check to each taxpaying household using savings from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—but he later clarified that the final decision rests with President Donald Trump.
The idea, first pitched on X (formerly Twitter) by James Fishback, CEO of Azoria and a reported outside adviser to DOGE, calls for 20% of DOGE’s targeted $2 trillion savings to be returned to the nation’s ~79 million tax-paying households. Fishback tagged Musk in a post outlining the plan, and Musk responded, “Will check with the President.”
However, after the proposal gained traction, Musk walked back any commitment, responding to another post with: “Obviously, the President is the Commander-in-Chief, so this is entirely up to him.” Fishback celebrated Musk’s interest, calling it an honor that the billionaire was considering the plan.
DOGE’s Cost-Cutting and Controversy
So far, DOGE claims to have saved the U.S. $55 billion through efforts like fraud detection, contract cancellations, asset sales, and workforce reductions. The agency, which Trump created via executive order on his first day back in office, aims to eliminate government waste. But its rapid cost-cutting has drawn criticism and lawsuits, especially over concerns about its access to sensitive federal data from agencies like the Treasury and Education Departments.
Meanwhile, Fishback—who has vocally supported Trump, Musk, and DOGE—has positioned himself as a key advocate for the initiative, even suggesting he could step into a larger role at the agency following Vivek Ramaswamy’s departure.
With the U.S. budget deficit exceeding $1.8 trillion in 2024 and expected to grow, the question remains: Will Trump and Musk prioritize returning savings to taxpayers—or use DOGE’s cuts to shrink the deficit?
