Elon Musk’s proposal to provide Americans with “dividend checks,” financed by a share of the savings generated by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has garnered widespread public support, new polling finds.
A recent survey of 1,001 registered voters found that 67 percent of Americans support DOGE providing a one-time $5,000 check funded by the department’s cost-saving efforts. Within this majority, 46 percent said they strongly supported the idea, 21 percent somewhat supported it, and 12 percent opposed it.
The survey, conducted by J.L. Partners between February 24 and 25, also revealed strong cross-party support for the idea. 79 percent of Republicans and 60 percent of Democrats supported it. Additionally, 24 percent of Democrats and 29 percent of independents said receiving the check would make them more likely to vote for a Republican congressional candidate.
Why It Matters
Although DOGE’s overall approval ratings are mixed, the proposed dividend checks—if implemented—significantly increase public support for the nongovernmental department. This surge in backing would provide it with substantial political capital to advance its stated mission of combating fraud, waste and abuse within the federal government.
As the figures on bipartisan support for the checks suggests, these could also provide a much-needed boost for the White House and legislative momentum for congressional Republicans, currently operating with some of the narrowest majorities in both chambers in recent history.
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What To Know
DOGE adviser James Fishback, CEO of investment firm Azoria, suggested on X (formerly Twitter) that DOGE provide a “tax refund check” to U.S. households using the dividends from its cost-cutting efforts.
He attached a memo to the post outlining that the $5,000 figure was calculated by allocating 20 percent of DOGE’s targeted $2 trillion in savings and dividing it among the 79 million taxpaying households in the country.
“Will check with the president,” Musk wrote in response.
At the Conservative Political Action Conference days later, Musk said President Donald Trump was “supportive” of the plan.
However, despite the widespread support the checks have received, the disbursement of $5,000 DOGE “dividends” is contingent on Musk’s department following through on its plans to cut down federal spending drastically.
During a recent interview with political strategist Mark Penn, Musk admitted that the $2 trillion figure was a long shot, describing this as the “best case outcome.”
“You kind of have to have some overage,” Musk said. ” I think if we try for $2 trillion, we’ve got a good chance of getting 1.”
A recent analysis from Reuters also found that DOGE had cut only $8.5 billion worth of government contracts so far, described by the outlet as “a fraction of what the U.S. government pays contractors each year.”
The move could also face resistance from fiscal hawks within the Republican Party.
Many of these critics previously condemned COVID-era stimulus measures—including the $1,400 direct payments—arguing that they contributed to pushing U.S. inflation to a 40-year high in 2022.
What People Are Saying
Scarlett Maguire, Director of J.L. Partners, said in a statement: “There is clear, cross-party support for the DOGE Dividend, with even Democrats strongly in favour of the idea. Americans believe that it would make citizens more likely to report first-hand examples of government waste and fraud.”
James Fishback, who came up with the proposal, told NewsNation: “The credit goes to President Trump. DOGE, [these savings] would not be possible without his leadership. We put it to paper, but President Trump is going to be the one to execute it.”
Former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly said last week on NewsNation that he would not accept the check if it was offered, adding: “I don’t like this deal because I think that any waste has to come off the federal debt, has to go back to the Treasury.”
Elon Musk, at CPAC last week: “It’s money taken away from the things that are destructive to the country, and from organizations that hate you, to you. That’s awesome–that’s, like, glorious. The spoils of battle.”
What Happens Next
There are no concrete plans to deliver on the $5,000 checks, despite Musk claiming that the idea has the president’s backing.
Given the calculations behind it, any potential checks would likely be distributed only at the end of the year and would depend on the amount DOGE manages to cut from the federal budget.
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