In defense of President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican, shared video compilations on social media of former Democratic leaders advocating for federal job cuts and reduced government spending.
Why It Matters
Trump created DOGE, a task force led by billionaire Elon Musk, to reduce federal costs and workforce. In its first month of operation, the taskforce has restructured multiple federal agencies and recommended mass layoffs.
Democrats and some Trump critics have expressed concerns over DOGE’s cost-cutting initiatives, with some saying that the president and Musk are not following legal protocols.
Greene’s recent social media post echoes concerns previously raised by former Democratic leaders, aligning with similar sentiments that are expressed by Musk and Trump.
What To Know
In a Saturday morning post on X, formerly Twitter, Greene, a Trump ally who leads the House Oversight subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency, shared an over 40-minute compilation of speeches from former Democratic President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore on cutting the federal workforce and slashing spending over their term.
“Democrats on my DOGE Committee need to watch this video instead of pitching temper tantrums and threatening me with ‘actual weapons,'” she wrote on X. “Our $36 TRILLION dollar debt is an everyone problem, NOT a partisan problem. America simply just can’t afford it anymore.”
Newsweek has reached out to Representative Melanie Stansbury, the top-ranking Democrat on the subcommittee, for comment via email on Sunday.
Democrats on my DOGE Committee need to watch this video instead of pitching temper tantrums and threatening me with “actual weapons.”
Our $36 TRILLION dollar debt is an everyone problem, NOT a partisan problem.
America simply just can’t afford it anymore. https://t.co/vas0Pv3Tfg
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) February 15, 2025
The U.S. national debt stands at $36.22 trillion, up $2 trillion relative from the previous year. Clinton was the first president in recent history to reduce the total deficit during his time in office, recording a $128.2 billion budget surplus as he left office in 2001.
A budget deficit occurs when expenses exceed revenue and indicate the financial health of a country. Revenues tend to be sourced from federal income taxes, while the expenses go towards federal funding and government benefits.
When a government records a deficit, it borrows money to plug the gap between income and expenditure. This borrowing forms the national debt, and as deficits accrue over a period of time the debt accumulates.
Greene also shared a video of President Barack Obama saying: “We are going to go through our federal budget, as I promised during my campaign, page by page, line by line, eliminating those programs we don’t need, and insisting that those we do need operate in a sensible, cost-effective way.” The video she shared was also reposted by Musk.
In that post, she tagged the Democrats on her House Oversight subcommittee, writing, “Are you ready to get to work?”
Meanwhile, the Musk-led task force has dismissed thousands of workers across federal agencies, including most recently 3,600 probationary employees at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Friday night, according to Fox News and Politico.
In documents obtained by The Washington Post, DOGE has outlined a three-phase plan to cut the federal workforce within the first 180 days of the Trump administration.
AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.
What People Are Saying
Representative Melanie Stansbury, a New Mexico Democrat, said in a Monday announcement after being named ranking member on the subcommittee: “We know there are broadly-supported, bi-partisan solutions that will improve government efficiency and transparency and I am ready to work together to find meaningful solutions. I am honored to be named the lead Democrat on this committee and have the opportunity to tackle the significant issues we have ahead of us.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote in an X post on Sunday sharing the same clip of Obama and Biden speaking on the matter: “To all of the Democrats who are planning to protest this week, here’s an explanation on DOGE, from your party’s own beloved leaders!”
Senator Lisa Murkowski, an Alaska Republican, wrote on X Friday night: “Dozens of Alaskans – potentially over 100 in total – are being fired as part of the Trump administration’s reduction-in-force order for the federal government. Many of these abrupt terminations will do more harm than good, stunting opportunities in Alaska and leaving holes in our communities. We can’t realize our potential for responsible energy and mineral development if we can’t permit projects. We will be less prepared to manage summer wildfires if we can’t support those on the front lines. Our tourism economy will be damaged if we don’t maintain our world-class national parks and forests.”
What Happens Next?
DOGE continues to advise and investigate various federal government agencies. The taskforce posts on its website the number of federal employees and cumulative cost per person on its website.
Several lawsuits have been filed against the administration’s terminations, including by fired inspectors general. More legal challenges over attempts to lay off federal workers are expected to come.
