Despite Musk's DOGE efforts, US spending increased under Trump - WSJ

In addition to domestic spending, the US has paid $25.5 billion more in interest on the national debt since Trump returned to the White House than in the same period in 2024. Rising interest rates and growing government debt are contributing to higher interest expenses.

DOGE, the publication writes, began cutting spending with a "shock and awe" campaign, firing at least 25,000 probationary federal employees and cutting funding for foreign aid. Some laid-off civil servants have regained their jobs, and the dismissal of probationary employees is currently being challenged in court.

In particular, the administration's efforts to cut spending at the US Agency for International Development (USAID) have reportedly faced obstacles. At first, spending was sharply reduced, as US Treasury Department data shows. However, in March, the US Supreme Court rejected the administration's emergency request to postpone foreign aid payments, and in recent weeks spending has almost returned to 2024 levels.

DOGE, meanwhile, has scored several victories in several of the more than 100 spending categories tracked in the Treasury Department's daily report. But they were rated as "small victories," indicating that the full effect of DOGE's efforts is likely to be felt for many years to come.

"I think the net effect of DOGE on federal spending, at least as far as we can track it in the Treasury Department's daily report, has been fairly insignificant," said Don Schneider, deputy head of US policy at Piper Sandler. - It will take time to accumulate these savings, but it will also depend on whether the administration wins in court on some of these claims."