John Jefferson
President Donald Trump floated the idea of delivering 20% of savings from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) directly to the American people on Wednesday.
Trump said 20% of the savings could be delivered to U.S. citizens in personal checks to taxpaying households, while another 20% would be used to pay down the national debt.
“There’s even under consideration a new concept where we give 20% of the DOGE savings to American citizens, and 20% goes to paying down debt, because the numbers are incredible,” Trump told reporters during an event at Miami Beach, Florida.
Users on X, formerly Twitter, first pitched the idea of a “DOGE dividend” to Elon Musk earlier this week, suggesting payouts of $5,000. The billionaire Tesla owner said he would “check with the president” about the plan.
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A reporter asked Trump about the proposal directly during Wednesday night’s event in Florida.
“I love it,” Trump said. “A 20% dividend, so to speak, for the money that we’re saving by going after the waste, fraud and abuse and all of the other things that are happening. I think it’s a great idea.”
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Trump went on to suggest that the dividend could serve as an incentive for Americans to report government waste on their own, according to NBC News.
DOGE so far claims to have saved some $55 billion via cuts to USAID, the Department of Education, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Some of DOGE’s cost-cutting efforts are under legal challenge, however.
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DOGE is currently planned to exist only through July 4, 2026, after which the organization will be dissolved.
Trump has not clarified what his administration would do with the remaining 60% of DOGE savings if he moves forward with the plan.
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