Donald Trump returned to the White House with bold promises to slash government spending. However, his first 100 days as the 47th president have seen a dramatic increase in federal outlays—$220 billion more than the same period under President Biden last year.
Since January, Trump has signed a wave of executive orders. Among the most controversial: renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and shutting down the Department of Education. That decision is now facing legal challenges.
To curb government waste, Trump appointed Elon Musk to lead the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The agency claims it has saved $170 billion through asset sales, canceled contracts, fraud crackdowns, and staffing cuts. However, no independent source has verified these savings.
