All of this money would’ve just vanished if Trump’s DOGE was never established.
The Department of Defense (DoD) and Elon Musk’s team at DOGE have uncovered significant wasteful spending within the Pentagon, identifying about $80 million in cuts that could streamline operations, the agency announced on Monday. This initiative comes at a crucial time as the military works to focus its resources on enhancing mission readiness and national defense.
Among the areas targeted for cuts are a variety of programs that stray from the DoD’s primary function. A notable example includes Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs. The U.S. Air Force allocated nearly $2 million for DEI transformation and training, while the Defense Human Resources Activity, which handles personnel data, spent over $3.5 million on DEI initiatives. These are seen as non-essential expenditures that do not directly contribute to the military’s core mission.
Further cuts are aimed at projects that support non-defense-related research. For instance, the Department of Defense spent $6 million funding the University of Montana’s program designed to “strengthen American democracy” by bridging societal divides. The University of Florida also received $1.6 million for a project focused on climate resilience in Africa, an initiative that critics argue is outside the scope of the Pentagon’s primary objectives.
DoD spokesperson Sean Parnell emphasized that these programs detract from the military’s essential functions. “This is not what we do,” Parnell stated. “These initiatives are a distraction from our core mission.”
The initial findings from the DoD and DOGE’s collaboration are expected to save taxpayers about $80 million, with more cuts anticipated in the future. “We are committed to trimming the fat, preserving the muscle, and ensuring the DoD is more mission-capable and lethal,” Parnell pledged.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth voiced strong support for the partnership, highlighting the need to address redundancies and unnecessary expenses within the Pentagon’s bureaucracy. The efforts represent a major step in focusing military resources where they are most needed: on strengthening America’s defense capabilities.