Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy are making big claims about leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), but one conservative columnist warns that it's all for show.
"There is little chance Elon Musk will save us from debt. It's all a show," wrote Dace Potas, who leads Lone Conservative, which purports to be the largest conservative student publication in America.
Writing for USA Today, Potas said he loves the idea of spending less but assumes that there will be no meaningful cuts.
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Many experts have observed his first point: the "department" can be named whatever it wants, but it does not have the power to overthrow a congressionally funded department.
"For those unfamiliar with the U.S. budget process, the president’s role is to submit a preliminary proposal to Congress early in the year. Congress is under no obligation to follow that proposal, but with majorities in both bodies, the GOP is likely to follow [Donald] Trump’s recommendations closely," wrote Potas.
For example, dismantling the Department of Education was a Trump pledge, but Potas called it "implausible." The narrow Republican majority in Congress would mean that one or two votes would ultimately kill funds for special education and Pell Grants, but eliminating the department as a whole is a heavy lift. The U.S. Senate also has a narrow majority, so Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), who is up for election in 2026, could impact several votes if they even get that far.
"There is also not a pathway to circumvent a filibuster, which Democrats would be sure to employ," Potas also said.
"The limited power that Musk actually has is likely to produce the same result as the GOP for the past several elections: promises of fiscal responsibility that lead to no such progress," he lamented.