DOGE Slashes $400 Million in Contracts, Sparking Celebration and Controversy

Washington, D.C. — The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), spearheaded by Elon Musk under the Trump administration, announced a significant milestone on Thursday, March 13, 2025, celebrating the cancellation of over $400 million in what it deems "wasteful" government contracts. The cuts, part of DOGE's aggressive push to streamline federal spending, have drawn both praise and criticism, with one prominent Fox News host lamenting the personal toll of the reductions.

Among the terminated contracts was a $379,000 grant aimed at educating transgender, BIPOC, and queer farmers about food justice, a move highlighted by Trump’s Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins earlier this week. DOGE officials touted the eliminations as a victory against bureaucratic excess, aligning with President Donald Trump and Musk’s long-standing argument that the federal government is bloated and inefficient. The agency claims these cuts contribute to a broader savings initiative, with DOGE asserting it has already saved taxpayers $105 billion—though only a fraction of that figure has been publicly verified.

The announcement, however, has not been met with universal approval. Fox News host Jesse Watters, a vocal Trump supporter, expressed an unexpected personal grievance during a broadcast, revealing how the cuts could disrupt his weekend plans. “I just saw some news that Trump took some grants away from Johns Hopkins, where my sister works,” Watters said. “Now my mom is texting me, upset. It’ll be a whole family thing—we’ll have to deal with it over the weekend.” The Johns Hopkins University cuts, tied to the termination of USAID funding, are projected to result in 2,200 job losses, amplifying the ripple effects of DOGE’s cost-cutting campaign.

The broader sweep of cancellations included 239 contracts over two days, with a reported ceiling value of $1.7 billion, though DOGE specifies the immediate savings at $400 million. Critics, including some White House officials and Republican lawmakers, have voiced concerns over the blunt-force approach, arguing it risks alienating constituents and destabilizing essential programs. Meanwhile, supporters hail the move as a bold step toward fiscal responsibility. 17GEN4.com