DOGE Initial Pentagon Report Revealed – “Ridiculous Spending Eliminated,” Musk Says

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and Department of Defense officials identified $80 million in wasteful spending.

The Pentagon would save the funds by cutting some diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.

“We believe these initial findings will probably save $80 million in wasteful spending,” chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said.

“$80M in ridiculous spending eliminated!” Elon Musk commented.

$80M in ridiculous spending eliminated! https://t.co/CHnMwzp4vY

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 4, 2025

From the New York Post:

A hodgepodge of numerous programs and expenses, including some Diversity Equity and Inclusion initiatives on the chopping block were rattled off by chief DOD spokesperson Sean Parnell in a social media post.

The Air Force earmarked nearly $2 million for holistic DEI transformation and training and the Defense Human Resources Activity – which provides personnel data management and analysis for the DOD – spent $3.5 million to support DEI groups, he said.

Another $6 million flowed to the University of Montana to strengthen American democracy by bridging divides and the University of Florida received $1.6 million to study social and institutional determinants of vulnerability and resilience to climate hazards in the Sahel region of Africa, Parnell noted.

The University of Florida program is supported via a grant from the Minerva Research Initiative that was started in 2008 by the DOD. It provides funding for research meant to better understand regions across the globe that are “of strategic importance to the US,” the school said online.

Parnell, in his Monday message, made clear the programs he listed are “not a core function of our military.”

DOGE says it’s found $80 million in wasteful spending at the Pentagon.

Follow: @AFpost pic.twitter.com/wSkKGcjH2j

— AF Post (@AFpost) March 4, 2025

DOD says it’s found $80 million in waste to trim from Pentagon budget with help from DOGE https://t.co/T6pSymeHGq pic.twitter.com/cT5ZkEMqnu

— New York Post (@nypost) March 4, 2025

Fox News reports:

In an effort to gut spending, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth directed the DOD’s civilian workforce to comply with Musk’s DOGE productivity email, listing five things they accomplished after initially telling them not to reply.

Last week, Hegseth said his agency would work with DOGE, which has conducted reviews of the Treasury, Labor, Education and Health departments, as well as at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Office of Personnel Management and Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

He added that many DOGE workers are veterans, and it is a “good thing” that they will find deficiencies.

“They care just like we do, to find the redundancies and identify the last vestiges of Biden priorities — the DEI, the woke, the climate change B.S., that’s not core to our mission, and we’re going to get rid of it all,” Hegseth said.

DOGE has come under scrutiny, with some accusing President Donald Trump of giving Musk too much leeway and access to sensitive data.