A new poll reveals that readers of The Epoch Times overwhelmingly support the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a Trump administration initiative aimed at increasing government efficiency, slashing deficits, and rooting out fraudulent and wasteful spending.
DOGE has a planned lifespan of 18 months, with a goal of cutting $2 trillion in federal spending before its dissolution on Independence Day in 2026. Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, appointed as a special government employee, leads the initiative. Musk has described the $2 trillion target as ambitious and suggested that even achieving half of the goal would represent significant success in tackling government inefficiency.
The poll reflects strong support among Epoch Times readers for DOGE and its mission, with an overwhelming majority viewing it as an effective tool in reducing government waste as the United States grapples with record-high debt. However, some write-in responses echo concerns that have emerged in broader public discourse.
Strong Support for DOGE’s Mission
The survey results highlight broad approval of DOGE’s efforts.A significant majority—93 percent—agreed that DOGE’s review of the Treasury Department’s payment system is necessary to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse, while only 3 percent expressed disagreement. The remaining 4 percent were relatively ambivalent, with 1 percent somewhat disagreeing, 1 percent neutral, and 2 percent somewhat agreeing.
Similarly, 93 percent supported DOGE’s access to Medicare and Medicaid systems to identify inefficiencies, waste, and fraud. Just 3 percent disagreed, with the remaining responses in the neutral range.
A comparable share—93 percent—viewed DOGE as an effective initiative in reducing government waste and inefficiency, while 4 percent disagreed. The remaining 3 percent were more ambivalent, with 1 percent neutral and 2 percent somewhat agreeing.
There was slightly less support for unrestricted access to federal agencies, with 86 percent in favor and 6 percent opposed.
Desire for Greater Public Visibility
Although support for DOGE was high, many respondents expressed a strong desire for greater public transparency with regard to its findings, aligning with write-in responses that emphasized the need for public scrutiny of government spending.
Seventy-eight percent of respondents agreed that the public should have more insight into DOGE’s findings, while only 5 percent disagreed. The remaining 17 percent were somewhere in the middle, with 3 percent saying they somewhat disagree, 8 percent saying they were neutral, and 6 percent saying they somewhat agree.
Additionally, 76 percent said they believed that cost savings from DOGE’s work outweigh any privacy or security risks, compared with 7 percent who disagreed. Another 17 percent were relatively ambivalent in their responses though leaning toward agreement—3 percent somewhat disagreed, 8 percent were neutral, and 9 percent somewhat agreed.
There was slightly less certainty regarding DOGE’s long-term effects on government spending reforms. While 73 percent said they believed DOGE would lead to lasting change, 4 percent were skeptical, and 24 percent remained somewhat undecided.
Concerns over security and privacy risks were relatively muted, with just 13 percent expressing apprehension about DOGE’s access to federal IT systems, while 65 percent disagreed or strongly disagreed with those concerns.
Even less support existed for increased congressional oversight, with only 11 percent in favor and 60 percent opposed.
Write-In Responses
The most common proposal for improving DOGE’s operations, mentioned 2,830 times, called for making DOGE’s findings public. Many respondents—2,599 mentions in total—advocated for a dedicated website with regular updates, while 2,167 supported the publication of findings at regular intervals. Some, totaling 860 mentions, suggested that DOGE should hold press briefings or public updates.However, a sizable portion of respondents—2,476 in total—said they believed DOGE is already sufficiently transparent. Many, 1,344 in number, supported the continuation of DOGE’s current practices, while 1,207 praised its work.
A number of write-in responses called for accountability based on DOGE’s findings, with some advocating for the prosecution of individuals found guilty of fraud.
The poll underscores strong public support for DOGE’s efforts to curb government waste, with an overwhelming majority approving of its initiatives. However, the demand for increased transparency remains a persistent theme, likely reflecting a desire to subject DOGE’s findings to scrutiny and broader public concerns about ensuring accountability for how taxpayer dollars are spent.
Recent Developments
In stark contrast to the support expressed in the poll, DOGE and the Trump administration have faced sharp criticism from many congressional Democrats, who accuse them of probing federal agencies without adequate congressional oversight or transparency. Democrats and other critics argue that terminating appropriated funds is within Congress’s authority rather than that of the executive branch.Trump and Musk have both defended DOGE as a necessary initiative that fulfills Trump’s campaign promise to slash wasteful government spending and deliver efficiency and savings to taxpayers.
“We’re going to find billions, hundreds of billions of dollars of fraud and abuse,“ Trump said in a Fox News interview that aired on Feb. 9, adding that the people of the United States elected him on that issue and praising Musk and his leadership at DOGE as ”terrific.”
“The people voted for major government reform, and that’s what the people are going to get,” Musk said. “That’s what democracy is all about.”
Musk added that he fully expects the work of DOGE to be subjected to intense public scrutiny and said that if he and his team make any mistakes, they'll be corrected.
“It’s not optional for us to reduce the federal expenses,” Musk said. “It’s essential. It’s essential for America to remain solvent as a country.”
Trump said DOGE had already found “billions and billions of dollars in waste, fraud, and abuse,” estimating that the final tally of wasteful spending could reach upward of $1 trillion.
