If Democrat politicians are to be believed, Elon Musk is evil, and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is reckless. A group of 20-year-old “tech bros” are tearing the federal government apart, root and branch.
Democrats assert daily, aided by the mainstream media, that the United States faces a constitutional crisis. This hyperbolic rhetoric, which voters previously rejected, aligns with earlier claims that Donald Trump is a dictator, a fascist, Hitler, and a despot.
By acting decisively and employing a “naming and shaming strategy,” Donald Trump is confident he’s onto something significant. His administration has brought attention to excessive spending—largely unfamiliar to those outside the Beltway—on woke, anti-American, or wasteful government programs at USAID, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Education thus far. Consequently, the Trump administration has positively shaped public opinion, facilitating the implementation of other elements of his agenda.
With DOGE as his auditor, Trump has examined how unknown bureaucrats spend billions of dollars outside the public’s eye.
DOGE personnel haven’t even targeted the most target-rich agencies: the Department of Defense, Health & Human Services, and the Department of Labor. Elon Musk has started tweeting about massive Social Security fraud—millions of people who are 110-plus years old being paid benefits. If true, who knew that government bureaucrats found the secret sauce to keep people living longer?
Congressional Democrats: How can anyone expect to root out waste, fraud, and abuse without actually looking at how government agencies spend our tax dollars?
Democrats cry foul here. Donald Trump fired the inspector generals. It’s their job to root out waste, fraud, and abuse. These individuals may have had that assignment listed on their job descriptions, but the waste, fraud, and abuse train continued unabated during both Republican and Democrat administrations.
With Congress’ and past president’s acceptance or neglect, the federal bureaucracy has assumed greater power. This influence inevitably flows toward the political party that wants more government – the Democrats. Heads of agencies ignore oversight requests (ask Iowa Sen. Jonie Ernst about her multiple inquiries to USAID) or fail to comply promptly. Democrats view the federal bureaucracy as a taxpayer-funded jobs program – most recently, where 90-plus percent worked full-time from home.
This dynamic needs to change. Americans should expect, if not demand, value for our money. We need an effective federal government. A bloated federal bureaucracy doesn’t make America great. It makes the country slow, lazy, and non-competitive.
If Democrats were smart, instead of defending unsupportable programs, they would join Republicans in their efforts to pare back an overextended federal bureaucracy—that is, unless they realize that the taxpayer-funded gravy train is coming to a sketching halt.
Instead of fighting for illogical programs like Sesame Street Baghdad, trans surgeries in Guatemala, or other programs that don’t benefit American citizens, they should push the Trump Administration to more quickly identify waste, fraud, and abuse in all areas of government. Claim credit.
At worst, claims of significant waste, fraud, and abuse will turn out to be a myth. Demonstrating this will eliminate a crucial messaging plank for Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans. At best, the more “fat” that is trimmed will enable Democrats to counter a key Republican message and engage in future battles on issues and topics that align more favorably with their interests.
If history is a guidepost, Democrats should look optimistically at 2026 and 2028; however, at present, they’re struggling to counter Donald Trump’s onslaught.
Like Bill Clinton and Al Gore did in the early 1990s, efforts to “right-size” the federal government and cut spending could be a boon for Democrats. Remember, “the era of big government is over?” Doing so would remove the progressive patina that may motivate the liberal base but repel moderates and independents.
Doing so would also go a long way toward moving the debate in Washington, D.C., back toward the reasonable middle, where most Americans feel comfortable.
Matthew Klink is the owner of Klink Campaigns, Inc. He has worked on candidate and issue campaigns in more than 35 countries. Learn more at klinkcampaigns.com.
