WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is embracing the idea of sending some of the funds coming to the government from his administration’s widespread cost-cutting and federal workforce shrinking effort, a campaign helmed by billionaire Elon Musk, directly back to the American public. 

What You Need To Know

  • President Donald Trump is embracing the idea of sending some of the funds coming to the government from his administration’s widespread cost-cutting and federal workforce shrinking effort, a campaign helmed by billionaire Elon Musk, directly back to the American public
  • En route back to the White House from a conference in Miami on Wednesday, Trump declared it would be a “great idea” to give Americans a 20% dividend from the money being saved by his push to decrease the size of the federal government, branded as the U.S. DOGE Service
  • Speaking earlier at the FII Priority Summit in Miami, Trump said he was considering giving 20% of the savings back to Americans while using an equal amount to pay down the country’s debt
  • Musk first floated the idea that dividends could be under real consideration on his social media app, X, in response to a proposal from an investment firm CEO, James Fishback

En route back to the White House from a conference in Miami on Wednesday, Trump declared it would be a “great idea” to give Americans a 20% dividend from the money being saved by his push to decrease the size of the federal government, branded as the U.S. DOGE Service. 

“I love it — 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,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One. “I think it's a great idea.”

The president added that such a dividend could amount to “a lot” of money going back to American taxpayers. He went on to make the case that such a move could incentivize Americans to report to the government on more ways to save money. 

Speaking earlier at the FII Priority Summit in Miami, Trump said he was considering giving 20% of the savings back to Americans while using an equal amount to pay down the country’s debt. 

“Because the numbers are incredible, Elon,” Trump added of the savings.

Musk, who was in the audience for the president’s remarks, has said he expects to save $1 trillion with DOGE, which stands for the Department of Government Efficiency.

The SpaceX CEO first floated the idea that dividends could be under real consideration on his social media app, X, in response to a proposal from an investment firm CEO, James Fishback. 

Musk responded “Will check with the president” to a tweet from Fishback calling for a “‘DOGE Dividend’—a tax refund check sent to every taxpayer, funded exclusively with a portion of the total savings delivered by DOGE.”

The large-scale DOGE campaign has sparked mass layoffs across federal departments and apparent efforts to shutter agencies such as the U.S. Agency for International Development, known as USAID. It’s led to fierce pushback from Democrats and some protests around the country.