Elon Musk: The US loses $700B annually to government fraud

Head of DOGE Elon Musk said the U.S. budget loses about $700 billion annually due to government fraud.

“Fraud in the federal government is closer to 10% of disbursements, so more like ~$700 billion per year,” Musk wrote on X.

According to the businessman’s estimates, at least 15% of the payments, which is about a trillion dollars, are being “blatantly misappropriated” by U.S. officials. Musk noted that during former U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration, billions of dollars intended to help Americans in need were redirected to facilitate illegal immigration.

U.S. President Donald Trump has appointed Elon Musk to lead a newly created department designed to improve the country’s government efficiency, reduce the bloated state apparatus, and combat bureaucracy. The U.S. leader stated that the department, known as DOGE, “will provide external consulting and guidance” in collaboration with the White House. According to NBC News, the new organization will not be a full-fledged department within the federal government. Musk aims to cut U.S. government spending by $2 trillion.

Regarding immigration, it has now become a key issue in the inter-party struggle in the U.S. President Donald Trump has previously stated on several occasions that he intends to carry out the largest deportation operation in U.S. history against illegal immigrants.