President Donald Trump on Wednesday evening announced that he is looking into the concept of sending 20% of the money the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is saving to U.S. citizens.
DOGE leader Elon Musk first hinted at the idea on Tuesday night, telling Azoria CEO and co-founder James Fishback that he would “check with the president” about sending U.S. citizens “DOGE dividend” checks.
Trump told an audience of investors at the Foreign Institutional Investor summit in Miami, Florida, that the concept was still under consideration.
“There is even under consideration a new concept where we give 20% of the DOGE savings to American citizens, and 20% goes to paying down debt,” Trump said. “The numbers are incredible, Elon, so many billions … Hundreds of billions.”
Trump said if they do give the money back to Americans, then it would show the government cares, and taxpayers would help report waste and participate in helping the country save money.
If DOGE does reduce federal spending by $2 trillion, which is its goal, then approximately $400 billion would go back to taxpayers, which equals approximately $5,000 per taxpaying household, according to Politico.
Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.
Reprinted with Permission from Just the News – By Misty Severi
The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of AMAC or AMAC Action.
If 20% of the savings is returned to individual taxpayers, shouldn’t the other 80% be used to pay down the debt ?
The US has reached nearly catastrophic debt. And one reason why is because of the deficit spending for the crap that DOGE is uncovering. All DOGE savings need to go to the debt.
My wife and I are retired and live off our social security checks. Still, I say, apply it ALL to paying down the 37 trillion dollar debt.
If you’re saving money, way spend unnecessarily, the American public doesn’t need a short term fix, we need long term repairs. Cut spending, cut taxes and reduce the deficit. We’ll be able to save money, the dollar will be worth more, so in the long run we can enjoy life more without worries.
If the less than 50% who still pay taxes get it fine! Otherwise the lazy run their hand out and we are sick of their taking, taking, taking, taking.
I could use the money. I know others could too. But we’ve (our govt) spent like drunken sailors on payday for decades now and it is time to pay the piper. As such, I would much rather they put 100% of the savings towards paying down our $32-trillion (and growing) national debt.
Why not dump a chunk of that into the Social Security coffers?
I would like to see 100% going to help pay off the debit.
So what about the other 60% where is that going?
Just reduce the “debt,” Trump. Returning a paltry sum to taxpayers merely creates more expense and is neither needed, nor necessary.
It might gain votes for Republicans, but any savings needs to go directly to reducing the debt, after the budget is balanced- easy without all the fraud and corruption in it!
I think that 100% should go to reducing the national debt. It would cost more than it is worth to send any of it ‘back’ to taxpayers. IT WAS A STUPID IDEA! I don’t want some small amount (compared to the amount that payers of huge taxes would get) I would rather see my taxes go down as a result of lower amounts being needed for the government budgets. Interest on the National Debt is more than the DoD budget and it goes up every year. The faster we can start reducing that debt the sooner the budget can be reduced.
So, where does the other 60% go?
Show me the money, as a Senior Citizen who paid taxes all my life and so has my wife, all the while the Dims and RINO’s have been squandering money Left and Left, they never squander it Right.
Paying down the debt puts nothing back in my pocket, it only helps future generation but doesn’t do a thing for seniors or the veterans or the working poor.
Over the last 35 years the Dim’s have controlled 21 of them, and the last 4 have been a nightmare and seniors have lost most of their life savings.
I WANT THE MONEY!
God Bless America!
It is our money. Why not?
That would be a Great Start to recouping some of Our Hard Earned Tax Dollars that have been Stolen from US All!????❤️
So why not use the 80% to pay down the national debt which is over $36Trillion? What do they plan to do with the other 60%? Transparency remember…..
Paying down the debt would be nice. But we have a serious infrastructure problem. Need to build power plants, water supply and roads.
i suspect that our annual spending deficit will still exist so we can’t or shouldn’t do anything with funds except reduce the amount of the annual budget deficit
If 20% goes back to US citizens it must be taxpaying citizens. Not the superrich who pay no taxes as they pay their lawyers and CPAS’ the money to keep the government from collecting taxes. Not those who pay nothing and then collect money for each child they have. Only US citizens who actually pay taxes should receive money back. No illegals. no green cards no work permit holder should receive this.
I vote to put the money saved into Social Security and Medicare!
Replenish the social security accounts and keep congress from accessing.
How about paying down the debt, stop spending on projects that do not directly benefit tax paying Americans and make the Trump tax cuts permanent. Simplify the tax code and we’ll all be much better off than a one time $5,000.00 stipend would do for any of us.
By bringing inflation under control, unleashing Americas energy sources we will benefit for the long term.
I think 100% of the savings need to pay down our debt. Giving every household $5000 might add to inflation, just like the Covid money did. I want inflation brought under control so the money I do have will go further.
ANY and ALL return to taxpayers would be very wecome!
It is past time to STOP trying to buy friendships from the entire world who hate us.
How about 100% until we are out of debt.
If the American Citizens are getting 20% of this money and 20% is going toward the debt, where is the other 60% going?
Just quit taxing us and pay off the debt so you won’t have to tax us later to pay upcoming debt. If taxing becomes necessary again, it could be considerably less and just temporary
Its a nice thought but may I remind everyone that it was COVID “stimulus checks” that first spurned on inflation by the introduction of too much money injectec artificially into the system? I’d rather see a tax SAVINGS then a refund and the 20% used to pay down our $37 trillion dollar debt.
Fix the problem of overspending and don’t send any of the savings out, that is just another form of spending. Sounds more like a Democrat plan.
That works for me!
My personal opinion, is that the funds be used to pay down our debt. Refunding the $ the taxpayer has paid is money that should be used to clean up Biden’s excessive use of the nation’s credit card. Can’t become debt free if the funds are not reclaimed from the ones who shucked (like corn) their financial responsibility and profited from that action. They need to be held responsibility and need to compensate the taxpayers for their foolishness and greed!
Please apply that to reducing the national debt! That would be the best gift to all Americans!!
I could use a boost in income right now. With the cost of everything being so high, I have a hard time even living paycheck to paycheck
As much as I too would like to see the funds used to pay down on the debt, there is another angle to this that hasn’t been mentioned. A quick infusion/windfall back to the taxpayers would have a very powerful impact on the economy as well. Send a big chunk of the savings towards the national debt but reserve a little to help jumpstart a sagging economy. Lots of people (not myself) are in tremendous debt themselves and could use the relief.
What about the other 60%?
I sure could use the money. As they have stated plans to eliminate income taxes with tariffs, I hope they will be able to implement that plan, and let us keep all the money we do get.
The dems will scream if only taxpayers get refunds. They will demand everyone get them as they did when W issued small rebates. I remember dick gephart yelling about the injustice of only taxpayers being included.
I hope they use the rest to upgrade the computer systems for the IRS, SS and medicare…. I heard the social security computers are 60 years old. The defense dept. should put a Iron dome over the us Isreal has one they need to keep the illegals and terrorists out.
It’s been a while since hard working families got a break with cost of food, care repairs, and a swing set for their kids this spring, they have to account for every hard working dollar they make! They….. have paid their ties to stay American, and vote they are the ones who are looking bad and feeling rough, and yet proud to keep making it all work.There should be a policy those true believers get a kick back from our government ….before, we reach out to the world because our own people are starting to feel rough, and they show it! Without Wal Mart they wouldn’t be able to shop as well, “OUR AMERICAN PEOPLE have shared and stood by Trump, GOD BLESS all of them and GOD BLESS TRUMP and our United States! Maybe we can get back to our good ole American way of making a life be the most important American value, in our beautiful U.S.A. Stand together people, you are the ones who have to go to bed early and hardly care what you wear, just keep going,”We Do Have Our Old Fashion American Love for each other too!!!”
Interest concept , hope it’s a positive spin
Oh please yes we are struggling out here.