In December, Utah First Congressional District Rep. Blake Moore embraced Elon Musk and his "Department of Government Efficiency" or DOGE efforts. Moore was named co-chair of the companion "Delivering Outstanding Government Efficiency" (also DOGE) Caucus in the House, which was supposed to work with Musk on cost cutting efforts. Six months later, Moore appears to be distancing himself from Musk and DOGE.
Last week, Musk announced he was leaving Washington, D.C. and DOGE, but said the quasi-agency's work would continue in his absence. Initially, Musk promised $2 trillion in cuts to federal spending, but later said $1 trillion in savings was more realistic. Now, DOGE estimates it has saved just $175 billion, but analysts say Musk's effort has cost taxpayers approximately $135 billion or more.
During a Sunday appearance on Fox News, Moore appeared to distance himself from Musk's efforts, suggesting the billionaire bit off more than he could chew.
"The federal government is not Twitter. I think what he saw was this is a very dynamic, very complex organization, and let's ultimately do what we can," Moore said. "Yes, that is a significantly lower amount that was anticipated."
Moore did offer a tepid defense of Musk failing to live up to his promises, suggesting DOGE's efforts were not wasted.
"The things that they've been able to uncover and find are excellent. We need to focus on that and build on that."
It's not clear what purported discoveries Moore was referring to. During his brief tenure in Washington, Musk made a number of false or misleading claims about fraudulent government spending. President Donald Trump has reportedly asked aides whether Musk's promises of massive government savings were "bullshit."
Moore's office did not respond to a request for comment from Utah Political Watch.
In December, Moore was named one of three co-chairs of the House DOGE caucus, which was formed to advise Musk's cost-cutting efforts. Utah Rep. Celeste Maloy is also listed as a member. Politico reports the group has fizzled out – only meeting twice since it was formed.
Business Insider reported the DOGE caucus had planned to release a report of suggested cost-cutting measures at the end of the first quarter of 2025. Just like Musk's promised government savings, that report never materialized.
"There hasn't been a lot of interaction with us and the administration," Moore told Business Insider in May.
