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DOGE’s mission, as outlined in Trump’s executive order on January 20, 2025, involves conducting a “complete financial and performance audit of the entire federal government” to address “massive waste and fraud” in spending. This initiative includes deploying teams to various federal agencies to review budgets, contracts, workforce levels, and operational efficiency, with the goal of identifying and eliminating wasteful spending.
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) leader Elon Musk and members of the DOGE team were interviewed on March 27 by FOX News host Bret Baier about their efforts to identity waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government. Musk was joined by DOGE members:
- Steve Davis
DOGE Chief Operating Officer (COO)
[CEO and President of Elon Musk’s The Boring Company] - Joe Gebbia
Working in the IRS for DOGE
[Billionaire co-founder of Airbnb] - Aram Moghaddassi
Working at the Social Security Administration for DOGE
[Software engineer] - Brad Smith
Working at HHS (Dept. of Health and Human Services) for DOGE
[Health care entrepreneur who served in President Trump’s first administration] - Anthony Armstrong
Working at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) for DOGE
[Morgan Stanley banker] - Tom Krause
Working at the Treasury Department for DOGE
[CEO of Cloud Software Group] - Tyler Hassen
Working at the Interior Department for DOGE
[President of Basin Industries/Basin Energy Company]
Watch this first part of the interview and then answer the questions:
Questions
1. From the first 3 minutes of the video:
a) Bret Baier asks Elon Musk: What is the most astonishing thing you’ve found out in this process? What is Musk’s response?
b) What example does he give?
2. What is the DOGE team’s goal for the deficit?
3. How does Musk respond to critics who say DOGE is working in careless, slipshod manner?
4. Steve Davis has a masters degree in aerospace engineering from Stanford and a doctorate in economics from George Mason University. He is the CEO and President of Musk’s tunneling startup The Boring Co. – before that he worked at SpaceX and X. He has a reputation for extreme cost-efficiency. “His ability to solve engineering and financial challenges quickly made him a key player in Musk’s circle.”
Mr. Davis serves as the chief operating officer of DOGE’s day-to-day operations. Why did he join the DOGE team? (approximately 3:37)
5. a) Who is Joe Gebbia? Why did he join the DOGE team?
b) How is DOGE going to fix the antiquated system for federal employees who want to retire?
6. Aram Moghaddassi is a software engineer working at the Social Security Administration for DOGE. From minutes 8:50 to 11:20 in the video:
a) What points does Mr. Moghaddassi make about the state of government computers?
b) What two improvements is DOGE trying to make to Social Security?
c) In law, fraud is “intentional deception to deprive a victim of a legal right or to gain from a victim unlawfully or unfairly”. Describe the fraud committed against Americans who receive Social Security benefits.
d) What does Steve Davis say the DOGE team is doing about the 15-20 million Social Security numbers that are clearly fraudulent? (see the video, approximately 13:10)
7. From 13:16 – 15:42:
Brad Smith, a healthcare entrepreneur working with DOGE at the Department of Health and Human Services says they are committed to “number one, making sure we continue to have the best biomedical research in the world. And number two, making sure, which President Trump has said over and over again, that we 100% protect Medicare and Medicaid.”
a) What problem does he describe for NIH (National Institute of Health) researchers? How does DOGE propose to fix it?
b) How many different IT systems are there at NIH?
c) How many different CIOs (Chief Information Officer; oversees the hardware, software and data) does the NIH have?
d) Elon concludes by saying:
“[The DOGE changes are] going to affect people very positively. So the changes that we’re doing here will ensure the solvency of the American government, of the United States of America. This is what we’re trying to do, is ensure that people do receive their benefits in the future. And you can only receive your benefits if the country is operating in a healthy and competent way.”
Do you think those opposed to the work of DOGE (calling Elon a Nazi and vandalizing/destroying Teslas as a way to hurt him) would change their minds if they understood what the DOGE team is actually doing? Explain your answer.
8. From 15:47 to 18:33:
Anthony Armstrong, a Morgan Stanley banker working with DOGE at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM – which is the chief human resources agency for the Federal Government) gives an example of duplicative function, which is a job that is redundant or repetitive.
a) What example of this overstaffing does Mr. Armstrong give from the IRS?
b) Mr. Anderson emphasizes that “President Trump’s been very clear. It’s scalpel, not hatchet.” What does the team focus on doing for the employees who are employed in a duplicative function?
9. From 18:34 to 21:18:
Tom Krause was a CFO for a big public tech company and is now CEO of a software company. He is working with DOGE at the Department of Treasury.
a) What is alarming about Treasury’s bank accounts?
b) How much fraud is there at Treasury per year?
c) What requirements were not mandatory at the Treasury Department until DOGE discovered it and Secretary Bessent changed it a few weeks ago?
d) The DOGE team also discovered that the government can’t pass an audit. How confident are you that they can fix this?
10. Tyler Hassan is the president of an energy company and is working with DOGE at the Department of the Interior.
a) What does Mr. Hassan point out about departmental oversight?
b) What is the DOGE team doing now to fix this?
c) What does he say about working with Secretary Doug Bergum?
CHALLENGE: Watch the remaining part of the interview posted under “Resources” below.
Some points to consider before watching:
- Elon Musk has been called a Nazi and an “oligarch”.
- Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez have been holding “Fight Oligarchy” rallies.
- Rep. Jasmine Crockett has made inflammatory comments against Musk.
- Progressives have held protests against Tesla across the country.
Seen as acts of domestic terrorism, there has been a wave of violence against Tesla vehicles, showrooms and charging stations. Reports nationwide, range from minor vandalism, such as keying or graffiti, to more extreme cases like arson and drive-by shootings allegedly targeting Tesla vehicles.
What do you think is the reason for this opposition, hatred and sometimes violence/destruction against Tesla and Elon Musk – when in the past he was well-regarded by the same people who are now so opposed?
Daily “Answers” emails are provided for Daily News Articles, Tuesday’s World Events and Friday’s News Quiz.
