MILLIONS of Americans are wondering if they will actually ever receive so-called DOGE $5,000 stimulus checks.
The concept comes after Elon Musk, spearheading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), said he would consider giving 20% of the agency’s savings in the form of $5,000 checks.
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The idea is under consideration by the Trump administration, and was first proposed by investment firm CEO James Fishback in February.
Just last month, Trump told a summit in Miami Beach: “We’re considering giving 20% of the DOGE savings to American citizens and 20% to paying down the debt”.
The savings as Musk sets about slashing trillions of dollars in federal spending including shutting down government agencies, axing jobs and cutting funding to programs.
Musk has pledged to save US taxpayers $2 trillion as part of DOGE activities.
So will it ever happen?
Firstly, congress would need to back the proposal in order for the checks to be sent.
This may not be easy, as several lawmakers have expressed concern for the inflationary impacts of sending $5000 checks to American workers.
For example, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson hosed down the idea adding that he would rather pay off national debt at a conservative conference last month.
Also, he suggested that handing out free cash would contradict the principles of Republicans.
“Politically, that would be great for us, you know, because everybody gets a check,” Johnson said to the crowd. “But if you think about our core principles, right, fiscal responsibility is what we do as conservatives.
“That’s our brand and we have a $36 trillion federal debt. We have a giant deficit that we’re contending with. I think we need to pay down the credit card, right?”
Also, DOGE must first meet its $2 trillion savings goal it has promised which experts say may take time.
‘BEST-CASE OUTCOME’
In an interview broadcasted on X, Musk told political strategist Mark Penn that achieving the $2 trillion goal was “best-case outcome”.
He said he would have a better shot at cutting close to $1 trillion.
According to US Treasury figures, the federal government spent $6.75 trillion in 2024.
“I think we’ll try for $2 trillion. I think that’s the best-case outcome,” Musk said.
“But I do think that you kind of have to have some overage. I think if we try for $2 trillion, we’ve got a good shot at getting 1 [trillion].”
‘BACK TO HARD-WORKING AMERICANS’
The idea first came about from Fishback, who said the refund checks would be sent out after DOGE expired in July 2026.
“American taxpayers deserve a ‘DOGE Dividend’: 20% the money that DOGE saves should be sent back to hard-working Americans as a tax refund check. It was their money in the first place,” Fishback said in a separate X post.
“At $2 trillion in DOGE savings and 78 million tax-paying households, this is a $5,000 refund per household, with the remaining used to pay down the national debt.”
Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s complicated relationship
Former president Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s relationship started rocky, but the pair have since reconciled, with Musk fully endorsing Trump and interviewing him on X Spaces on August 12.
In 2022, Elon Musk and Donald Trump publicly feuded on X, then still known as Twitter.
Trump called Musk a liar and “bulls**t artist” during a rally in Alaska.
“Elon is not going to buy Twitter,” Trump said at the time.
“You know, he said the other day, ‘I’ve never voted for a Republican.’ I said, ‘I didn’t know that – you told me you voted for me. So he’s another bulls**t artist, but he’s not going to be buying it.”
In response to Trump’s critiques, the SpaceX founder clapped back.
“I don’t hate the man, but it’s time for Trump to hang up his hat & sail into the sunset,” Musk posted.
Musk also went on to buy X months later.
The X owner said he had previously voted mostly for Democrats since becoming a United States citizen in 2002.
Musk initially backed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to be the Republican Party’s presidential nominee.
“My preference for the 2024 presidency is someone sensible and centrist,” Musk wrote on X in 2022.
“I had hoped that would [be] the case for the Biden administration, but have been disappointed so far.”
His shift in political parties might be attributed to his plummeting relationship with President Joe Biden who didn’t invite Musk to the 2021 White House electric vehicle summit.
Despite their past issues, Trump and Musk’s relationship took a turn in March after they met at Mar-a-Lago.
Trump was also previously against electric vehicles but has since changed his stance.
“I’m for electric cars,” he said at a rally earlier this month.
“I have to be, because Elon endorsed me very strongly. So I have no choice.”
Following the assassination attempt at Trump’s rally in July, Musk announced his support for the former president.
“I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery,” Musk wrote on X after the shooting.
During a recent press conference, Trump spoke highly of Musk.
“I respect Elon a lot. He respects me,” he said.
“Elon, more than almost anybody I know, he loves this country. He loves the concept of this country, but like me, he says this country is in big trouble, it’s in tremendous danger.”
Musk has been pictured at events at Mar-a-Lago and the UFC, buddying up with Trump.
Trump selected Musk to lead the Department of Government Efficiency – a taskforce aimed at cutting bureaucracy.
