The Government Accountability Office published a review on August 6 that calls into question the reliability of savings figures touted by the Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE. The watchdog looked at data from January 20, 2025, through July 7, 2026, and found that much of the claimed $110.3 billion in savings cannot be verified from public records.
Contract claims don't match the paperwork
DOGE said it saved $61 billion through contracts. But GAO found that of 13,476 contracts marked as terminated, more than a quarter lacked identifying details, making it impossible to confirm they existed or were ever cancelled. Only 43% of the reported contract savings were actually tied to contracts terminated in full or in part.
That leaves billions in claimed savings with no clear paper trail. The GAO noted that DOGE's public dashboard didn't disclose these limitations, even though the data was being used to justify cuts across the federal government.
Grant savings and a phantom contract
On the grants side, DOGE reported $49.2 billion in savings. But GAO said 96% of those reported savings lacked sufficient information to verify the calculations. In one striking example, DOGE claimed over $1.7 billion in savings on a Defense Health Agency technology contract. The GAO found the contract was never touched. No termination, no modification, no savings.
The lease numbers tell a similar story. DOGE listed 264 leases it said it was cancelling. Of those, 108 were already being wound down before DOGE even launched. The actual lease savings came to $31.8 million, not the $113 million DOGE claimed — a gap of roughly $81 million.
Watchdog wants limits shown on the public site
GAO urged the Executive Office of the President to clearly display data limitations on the public dashboard so anyone reading the numbers understands what's verified and what isn't. The office didn't say whether it would do so.
DOGE did not respond to GAO's request for information or interviews during the review. The agency's formal existence ended on July 4, and Elon Musk has ruled out repeating the effort.
The GAO review doesn't accuse DOGE of fraud. It does say the public was given numbers that looked precise but often weren't. Whether any of the claimed savings will be restated or recalculated is still an open question — and one the GAO has left for the Executive Office to answer.
