As the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Elon Musk appears to carry the weight of a nation’s budgetary concerns on his shoulders.
The polarizing tech billionaire has cemented his role in Washington, despite being classified as a ‘special government employee’ with a limit of 130 working days per year. Nonetheless, Musk is taking his position at the DOGE with utmost seriousness.
Aiming to slash $2 trillion in government spending, Musk and his team have aggressively cut departments like USAID, leading to mass layoffs within government agencies.
However, despite Musk’s ambitious rhetoric, skepticism lingers over whether the numbers truly add up. Alongside multiple accounting discrepancies—where the DOGE was forced to retract billions in supposed savings—new Treasury reports indicate that government spending surged to a record-breaking $603 billion in February 2025.
Amid the controversy, podcaster Joe Rogan shared a resurfaced 2011 clip of former President Barack Obama discussing his own efforts to curtail government expenditure.
In the video, Obama acknowledges the necessity of making ‘tough decisions’ to eliminate the deficit, even if that means cutting programs that many value. He also emphasizes the need to eradicate ‘pointless waste and stupid spending that doesn’t benefit anybody.’
Echoing Musk’s current messaging, Obama firmly stated: “No amount of waste is acceptable, not when it’s your money.”
Obama went on to highlight taxpayer-funded government websites and vacant buildings that burden the budget. He then assigned then-Vice President Joe Biden to lead the effort, known as the Campaign to Cut Waste, which was launched via executive order on June 13, 2011.
Additionally, Obama’s administration established the United States Digital Service (USDS) in 2014 to modernize outdated government infrastructure. Interestingly, the USDS was recently rebranded as the United States DOGE Service, triggering a wave of resignations in response to Musk’s management approach.
Rogan’s resurfacing of Obama’s speech appears to be an attempt to shift focus away from the backlash against DOGE. However, critics argue that Musk has merely repurposed Obama’s past initiatives under his own brand.
Reactions to the video have been mixed. Some see it as evidence of hypocrisy, with one Musk supporter remarking: “The difference is… Joe lined his and Obama’s pockets… Elon is getting rid of it!”
Another user added: “Makes sense. Amazing how when a Republican tries to do it then the Democrats automatically want to stop it.”
A third person noted: “Bizarre how Obama administration proclaimed the exact things that’s being implemented by Musk today, but somehow the dems ain’t happy 😂😂. DUEL STANDARDS.”
Others took a more neutral stance, with one individual reflecting: “He laid out all the bullsht in his speeches and for the life of me I don’t know how everyone fking missed it.. maybe they didn’t and just fking didn’t give a sht, I don’t know…”
Although comparisons between Musk and Obama’s cost-cutting efforts have been drawn before, some believe Musk is leveraging Obama’s intentions for his own agenda. While supporters like Rogan continue to back him, the DOGE remains a deeply polarizing force in Washington.
