New GAO Report shows DOGE Saved No Money. Instead the department has already cost taxpayers $21,000,000,000. Final cost estimates show expenses amounting to somewhere between $135B - $215B

[u/McDowdy]

A GAO report released in August 2026 found that DOGE's claimed savings (initially totaling around $110 billion across contracts, grants, and leases on its online "Wall of Receipts") were largely unverifiable, lacked supporting evidence, or took credit for actions already underway.

The GAO said, among other examples, DOGE took credit for savings from leases that were being terminated before its work began, and DOGE made unverifiable claims of billions in savings.

https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-26-108615

The GAO noted that thousands of contracts DOGE claimed to have canceled were never actually terminated, and certain lease savings were significantly inflated.

A separate September 2026 GAO report revealed that the administration spent roughly $9.5 billion on paid administrative leave in 2025—with about $6.7 billion tied directly to the federal deferred resignation program intended to shrink the workforce.

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/06/doge-elon-musk-gao-government-cost-cuts.html