Golden Finance reports that Musk acknowledged in an interview with former Clinton administration advisor and political strategist Mark Penn that the proposed establishment of the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is unlikely to achieve the previously promised $2 trillion reduction in federal spending. This contrasts sharply with his statement at a Trump campaign rally last October, where he claimed he would 'cut at least $2 trillion.' Musk explained that setting a high target is meant to ensure actual results, stating, 'If we try to cut $2 trillion, we can achieve $1 trillion in results.' According to data from the U.S. Treasury, fiscal year 2024 spending is $6.75 trillion, while the government has a discretionary budget of only $1.7 trillion. Musk stated that if the budget deficit could be reduced from $2 trillion to $1 trillion, and economic potential is unleashed to allow the production of goods and services to keep pace with the growth of the money supply, inflation control could be achieved. Experts predict that Musk and Ramaswamy might focus cutting on social welfare programs like Medicaid.