The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is led by tech billionaire Elon Musk, is taking aim at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and, according to senior congressional sources, moved to seize control of the independent agency over the weekend.

The senior congressional sources told Fox News that more than 50 senior USAID staff members were placed on administrative leave and subjected to a gag order, meaning they were not allowed to communicate with anyone outside the agency without approval.

Signs were also removed from USAID’s headquarters in the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, D.C., and the DOGE team took over the computer systems, the sources said. USAID is responsible for distributing civilian foreign aid and development assistance to countries around the globe. 

The agency managed approximately $40 billion in appropriations last year, according to the Congressional Research Service.

RUBIO PAUSES FOREIGN AID FROM STATE DEPARTMENT AND USAID TO ENSURE IT PUTS ‘AMERICA FIRST’

President Donald Trump complimented Musk's decision-making on Sunday during a quick interaction with reporters on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews. When asked if he felt Musk was "delivering on his promises," the president responded with much praise.

"I do think Elon is doing a good job," Trump said. "He's a big cost cutter. Sometimes we won't agree with it and will not go where he wants to go, but I think he's doing a great job. He's a smart guy, very smart, and he's very much into cutting the budget of our federal government."

On Sunday, The Associated Press reported that the Trump administration placed two top security chiefs at USAID on leave after refusing to turn over classified material in restricted areas to DOGE.

After initially being refused access to USAID’s classified information, DOGE gained that access on Saturday, allowing them to see things like intelligence reports, a current and a former U.S. official told the AP.

The DOGE team members lacked high enough security clearance to access the information, so the two USAID security officials – John Voorhees and deputy Brian McGill – believed they were legally obligated to deny access.

On Sunday, Musk took aim at USAID on his social media platform X, writing, "USAID is a criminal organization. Time for it to die."

AFTER RAUCOUS FIRST WEEK IN OFFICE, DONALD TRUMP TO KEEP HIS FOOT ON THE GAS

He also wrote several other posts about the agency, saying things like, "USAID was a viper’s nest of radical-left Marxists who hate America" and "USAID is evil."

The latter was in response to a post suggesting USAID helped fund coronavirus research in Wuhan, China, which referred to an interaction posted on Forbes between Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and now former USAID Administrator Samantha Power in April 2023.

Trump echoed Musk's posts by saying USAID has been run by "a bunch of radical lunatics" and his administration is "getting them out." 

ABC News reported that those familiar with USAID were questioning whether the moves at USAID were being made in an effort to move the agency under the State Department, where there could be better accountability.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION NEEDS MORE PLANES TO CARRY OUT DEPORTATIONS: REPORT

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., turned to social media on Sunday to sound off on the "dismantling" of USAID.

"Trump and Musk are recklessly and illegally dismantling USAID, an essential national security agency that saves lives, advances U.S. interests, and promotes peace," Booker wrote. "Their malicious actions are putting the health of people, especially children, at grave risk, and will surely lead to future public health and migration crises in the U.S. – let alone suffering around the globe." 

Last week, at least 56 USAID officials were placed on administrative leave with full pay and benefits, and several hundred contractors based in Washington and elsewhere were laid off.

The actions came after Secretary of State Marco Rubio, acting on Trump's executive order, paused all U.S. foreign assistance funded by or through the State Department and USAID.

The 90-day pause has halted thousands of U.S.-funded humanitarian, development and security programs worldwide and forced aid organizations to lay off hundreds of employees because they can't make payroll.

Fox News Digital’s Chris Pandolfo and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

JOHANNESBURG - President Donald Trump’s announcement that he plans to cut off all foreign aid to South Africa because he claimed it is "confiscating" land "and treating certain classes of people very badly" in "a massive human rights violation" has provoked strong reaction from the South African presidency and commentators. 

"The South African government has not confiscated any land", South African President Cyril Ramaphosa responded in a statement, adding "We look forward to engaging with the Trump administration over our land reform policy and issues of bilateral interest. We are certain that out of those engagements, we will share a better and common understanding over these matters". 

Last week, Ramaphosa signed a bill into law permitting national, provincial and local authorities to expropriate land – to take it -"for a public purpose or in the public interest," and, the government stated "subject to just and equitable compensation being paid". However, sources say no expropriation has happened yet.

SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT SIGNS CONTROVERSIAL LAND SEIZURE BILL, ERODING PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS 

On his Truth Social Media platform, President Trump hit out at South Africa, posting "It is a bad situation that the Radical Left Media doesn’t want to so much as mention. A massive Human Rights VIOLATION, at a minimum, is happening for all to see. The United States won’t stand for it, we will act. Also, I will be cutting off all future funding to South Africa until a full investigation of this situation has been completed!" Trump later repeated his comments while speaking to the press on Sunday night at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.

Pieter du Toit, assistant editor of South African media group News 24, posted on X "The U.S. President, clearly advised by Elon Musk, really has no idea what he’s talking about." 

South African-born Musk is trying to expand his Starlink internet service into South Africa, but President Ramaphosa has reportedly told him he must sell off 30% of his company here to local broad-based so-called Black empowerment interests.

In response to the South African president’s statement, Musk fired back on X, asking Ramaphosa, "Why do you have openly racist ownership laws?"

INCOMING TRUMP ADMIN, CONGRESS SHOWDOWN LOOMS WITH SOUTH AFRICA OVER SUPPORT FOR RUSSIA, US FOES

Analyst Frans Cronje told Fox News Digital that President Trump may be referring to the ongoing killing of farmers in South Africa when he posted that certain classes of people are being treated very badly.

"President Trump's recent comments on land seizures in South Africa cannot be divorced from his past comments on violent attacks directed at the country's farmers. Whilst these comments have often been dismissed as false, the latest South African data suggests that the country's commercial farmers are six times more likely to be violently attacked in their homes than is the case for the general population." 

Cronje said there may be agendas in play behind President Trump’s statements.

"Such seizures may also apply to the property of American investors in South Africa. Cronje is an adviser at the U.S. Yorktown Foundation for Freedom. He added "with regards to land specifically, the legislation could enable the mass seizure of land which has been an oft expressed objective of senior political figures in the country. To date, however, there have been no mass seizures, in part because there was no legislative means through which to achieve such seizures." 

Now, with the bill having been signed into law, Cronje says that has changed. 

"The comments around property rights in South Africa must be read against broader and bipartisan US concern at developments in South Africa. In 2024 the US/South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act was introduced (in Congress) amid concerns that the South African government's relationships with Iran, Russia, and China threatened US national security interests."

Cronje, who also advises corporations and government departments on economic and political trajectory, continued. "Last week, South Africa’s government, together with that of Cuba, Belize and four other countries supported the formation of the ‘Hague Group’ in an apparent move to shore up the standing of the International Criminal Court, amid the passage through Congress of the Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act that prescribes sanctions against any country that is seen to use the court to threaten US national security interests. South Africa has in recent years been prominent in employing both that court and the International Court of Justice in the Hague to press for action against Israel and Israeli leaders."

South Africa’s Ramaphosa played down the importance of U.S. aid, stating "with the exception of PEPFAR (The U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) Aid, which constitutes 17% of South Africa’s HIVAids program, there is no other significant funding that is provided by the United States in South Africa." President George W. Bush introduced PEPFAR in 2003.

Analyst Justice Malala, speaking on South African news channel, ENCA, said that, under the Trump administration, "the United States is going to upend South Africa in many ways."

When entrepreneur Elon Musk made headlines with his vociferous comments supporting the H-1B visa program, the ensuing debate focused on the implications of his position on immigration. 

But this debate obscured the reason America even has such a program in the first place: its homegrown students are being poorly educated in math. 

According to federal law, the H-1B program gives visas to foreigners coming to perform services "in a specialty occupation." A specialty occupation is defined as requiring "theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge," plus higher education requirements. 

US 'REPORT CARD' SHOWS STUDENTS HAVE FALLEN BEHIND IN READING, BARELY BUDGED IN MATH: ‘THE NEWS IS NOT GOOD’

The program is annually capped at 65,000 regular H-1B visas, with another 20,000 for those foreigners who have earned advanced degrees from U.S. universities. 

Given Musk’s vehement support of the program, it is no surprise that a federal report states that in 2023, "computer-related occupations were the largest major occupational area, accounting for 65% of all beneficiaries [of the program]." In comparison, less than 1% of H-1B visas were given to foreigners in the social sciences. 

While much of the coverage of the H-1B debate focuses on the foreign-versus-American-worker angle, the real issue regarding H-1Bs is that the U.S. is failing to produce domestic workers with the requisite math skills required by Musk’s SpaceX and other high-tech companies. 

In 2024, a shocking 72% of eighth-grade students taking the National Assessment of Educational Progress math exam failed to score at the proficient level -- a full 6% increase over the 66% of eighth graders failing to achieve proficiency in 2019.

Why are American students doing so badly in math? The answer lies in the ineffective math instruction they are receiving. 

In the early 2010s, most states adopted the Common Core national education standards, which were touted as a cure for America’s math woes. Unfortunately, Common Core turned out to be bad medicine. 

Common Core confused many students by emphasizing indirect ways to arrive at the right answer instead of just learning straightforward mathematical operations. 

For example, in multiplying numbers, children are often asked to draw pictures instead of simply memorizing the multiplication tables. 

Michael Malione, a professional math tutor in California, said that his students were instructed by their public schools to draw and shade different areas of rectangles when multiplying fractions, rather than simply multiplying the numerators and multiplying the denominators to get the correct answer. Requiring students to learn math this way is both inefficient and ineffective. 

"We’re going to draw a picture every time we’re given 10 problems with fractional multiplication, when you could do them in your head?" Malione asks. "That’s insane." 

Malione sees students "who are completely lost and they’re not getting the step-by-step guidance early on." 

Given Malione’s experience, it is unsurprising that a federally funded study found that Common Core had significant negative effects on the math achievement of eighth graders. 

College math professors are shocked at students’ poor math skills. 

One college math instructor in the Silicon Valley lamented that the lack of algebra knowledge is "the number one deficiency and its chronic." He said, "we’re not producing the kinds of students and graduates that Silicon Valley needs."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION 

Sugi Sorensen, a top engineer at famed Jet Propulsion Laboratory who also tutors students in math, urged a return to proven traditional math practices, which includes mastering the basic skills of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division through "the memorization of math facts and procedures" so that students "can perform computations quickly, accurately, and effortlessly." 

Further, math topics should be sequential, "where new concepts are built upon previously learned ones in a structured, hierarchical manner," Sorensen said. 

Finally, Sorensen recommends that math operations such as long division "should be explicitly taught and practiced until mastery," with an emphasis on accuracy. 

America has nearly 50 million K-12 students. If schools use proven math instructional methods instead of failed progressive techniques, there would be less need for H-1B visas because there would be more than enough young Americans with the skills companies need. The tech titans at Trump's inauguration should lean on schools to do just that. It is time to make math great again. 

Lance Izumi is senior director of the Center for Education at the Pacific Research Institute. He is the author of the PRI book The Great Classroom Collapse: Teachers, Students, and Parents Expose the Collapse of Learning in America’s Schools. 

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM LANCE IZUMI

U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) staffers said that they tracked over 600 workers who reported getting locked out of the USAID computer systems overnight, according to the Associated Press. People who remained in the system got emails stating that "at the direction of Agency leadership" the headquarters facility "will be closed to Agency personnel on Monday, Feb. 3."

Elon Musk, who is spearheading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) effort, had said during an X spaces conversation that President Donald Trump agreed that the USAID should be shut down.

Musk indicated that the shut-down process is underway. 

He said that unlike an apple contaminated by a worm, the agency is "a bowl of worms."

MUSK'S DOGE TAKES AIM AT ‘VIPER’S NEST' FEDERAL AGENCY WITH GLOBAL FOOTPRINT

"There is no apple," he said. "It's beyond repair."

Musk noted that the more he has gotten to know Trump, the more he likes the president.

"Frankly, I love the guy. He's great," the business tycoon said of the commander in chief.

USAID WORKERS PUT ON LEAVE AS TRUMP OFFICIALS INVESTIGATE RESISTANCE TO AID PAUSE

Musk has been excoriating USAID in posts on X.

"USAID is a criminal organization. Time for it to die," he tweeted.

"USAID was a viper’s nest of radical-left marxists who hate America," he asserted.

RUBIO PAUSES FOREIGN AID FROM STATE DEPARTMENT AND USAID TO ENSURE IT PUTS ‘AMERICA FIRST’

"We spent the weekend feeding USAID into the wood chipper. Could [have] gone to some great parties. Did that instead," Musk noted.

Tech billionaire Elon Musk ripped alleged "fraudulent" Treasury payments on Saturday as reports circulated that the Department of Government Efficiency has gained acces to the federal government's payment system as the second Trump administration continues cutting what they say is government fat and overspending. 

"The @DOGE team discovered, among other things, that payment approval officers at Treasury were instructed always to approve payments, even to known fraudulent or terrorist groups. They literally never denied a payment in their entire career. Not even once," Musk, the chair of DOGE, posted early Saturday morning to X. 

Musk's post came just ahead of the New York Times reporting Saturday afternoon that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent granted DOGE personnel access to the payment system. The Treasury spends roughly $6 trillion per year on payments for federal agencies. 

The ranking Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden, posted to social media on Saturday that he has also been informed that DOGE was granted access to the system. 

DOGE ANNOUNCES MORE THAN $1B IN SAVINGS AFTER CANCELING 104 FEDERAL DEI CONTRACTS

"Sources tell my office that Treasury Secretary Bessent has granted DOGE *full* access to this system. Social Security and Medicare benefits, grants, payments to government contractors, including those that compete directly with Musk's own companies. All of it," Wyden posted to social media site BlueSky on Saturday evening. 

DOGE's reported access to the payment system comes after the Washington Post reported on Friday that the former acting director of the Treasury, David A. Lebryk, was planning to exit the finance department of the federal government following a clash over granting DOGE access to its payment system. Lebryk oversaw the Treasury Department in the days between President Donald Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20 and Bessent's confirmation to lead the department on Jan. 27. 

TOP DOGE LAWMAKER SAYS TRUMP ‘ALREADY RACKING UP WINS FOR TAXPAYERS’ WITH EFFICIENCY INITIATIVES

On Friday, reports also spread that civil servants within the Office of Personnel Management, which works as the federal government's HR department, were reportedly locked from the office's computer systems by DOGE. 

Musk quipped on X on Saturday that working over the weekend is a "superpower," where the "opposing team" disappear for two days. 

"Very few in the bureaucracy actually work the weekend, so it’s like the opposing team just leaves the field for 2 days! Working the weekend is a superpower," he posted. 

‘DOGE’-MEETS-CONGRESS: GOP LAWMAKER AARON BEAN LAUNCHES CAUCUS TO HELP MUSK ‘TAKE ON CRAZYTOWN’

Trump officially created DOGE via an executive order signed on his first day in office. The EO outlines that government agency chiefs provide DOGE with access to internal government platforms such as, "software systems, and IT systems."

"Agency Heads shall take all necessary steps, in coordination with the USDS Administrator and to the maximum extent consistent with law, to ensure USDS has full and prompt access to all unclassified agency records, software systems, and IT systems.  USDS shall adhere to rigorous data protection standards," the executive order reads. 

Trump and Musk had long previewed the creation of DOGE while on the campaign trail, championing that the team would weed out overspending and fraud within the federal government. DOGE is not a government department, but instead operates as a team within the Trump administration. 

Before Trump's win in November, Musk hosted the Republican president for an interview on X in August, where Musk railed against government overspending and inflation that has gripped the nation in recent years. 

"A lot of people just don’t understand where inflation comes from. Inflation comes from government overspending because the checks never bounce when it’s written by the government. So if the government spends far more than it brings in, that increases the money supply. If the money supply increases faster than the rate of goods and services, that’s inflation," Musk said during their conversation. 

MUSK RENEWS HARSH REBUKE OF DEMS WHO REJECTED DEPORTING SEX OFFENDERS: VOTE OUT ‘EVERY ONE’

"So really we need to reduce our government spending, and we need to re-examine… I think we need a government efficiency commission to say like, ‘Hey, where are we spending money that’s sensible. Where is it not sensible?’"

Since its official creation last month, DOGE's X account has provided updates on its work to cut government spending, including announcing last week that it has cut more than $1 billion from federal spending through now-defunct diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and personnel. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and Treasury Department on Sunday morning, but did not immediately receive replies. 

Elon Musk, known for leading companies like Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink and xAI and buying and rebranding Twitter as X, often finds his name linked to innovation and futuristic ideas. But his reputation also makes him a prime target for scammers.

In the past, fraudsters have used Musk’s name in cryptocurrency schemes. Now, a new scam is making the rounds. This time, scammers are promoting bogus "energy-saving" devices, falsely associating Musk with these products to gain credibility. These devices, which don’t work as advertised, are being marketed as revolutionary solutions, duping people into spending money on what is essentially a scam.

We received this email from Rick in Wilkesboro, North Carolina: "I’ve been receiving emails offering an energy-saving device developed by Elon Musk. It claims the device can reduce energy bills by 50%. I never attempted to contact anyone associated with Elon Musk, nor have I done any internet searches for such a device. Are these emails legit or another attempt by scammers hoping I click on their links?"

GET SECURITY ALERTS, EXPERT TIPS - SIGN UP FOR KURT’S NEWSLETTER - THE CYBERGUY REPORT HERE

Rick, it sounds like those emails are likely scams. There have been numerous reports of scammers using Elon Musk's name to promote fake energy-saving devices. These scams often claim that the device can drastically reduce energy bills, but there is no evidence that Elon Musk or any of his companies are involved in such products.

Let's dive into how this scam works and share some ways you can stay safe.

The Elon Musk energy-saving scam works by using flashy online ads, unsolicited emails and other deceptive tactics to lure victims. Scammers promote so-called "revolutionary" devices through social media, pop-ups, emails and even search engine ads, claiming the products are backed by Musk.

These ads often include fake customer reviews, exaggerated claims of slashing electricity bills by 50% or more and time-limited discounts to create urgency. Names of devices advertised in these scams include the Power Pro Save, Heunwa Power Save, Stop Watt, Miracle Watt, True Watt, Real Watt, Watt Rescue, Esaver Watt, Pro Power Save, Voltmod and more. 

Clicking on these ads leads you to sales websites designed to look legitimate. They feature fake logos, doctored before-and-after photos and bogus celebrity endorsements to build trust. The sites throw around pseudo-scientific jargon like "stabilizing electrical currents" or "rebalancing loads" to sound convincing. They also use tactics like showing inflated "regular" prices crossed out to make the current offer seem like a huge bargain.

If you look closely, though, the red flags are clear. These sites lack basic details like a company address, contact number or business registration information. Instead, they push you to place an order through an online form, demanding full payment upfront via credit card or PayPal.

After paying, customers might receive a cheap, non-functional plastic device, or sometimes nothing at all. These devices don’t reduce electricity usage. They might even waste more power. But by the time you realize it, the scammers have already pocketed your money.

DON’T CLICK THAT LINK! HOW TO SPOT AND PREVENT PHISHING ATTACKS IN YOUR INBOX

Over the years, plenty of power-saving scams have promised to cut down or even eliminate your electricity bill by simply plugging in their devices. The reality is that there’s no device you can plug in that will actually reduce your electricity usage or lower your household bill.

These products often claim to "stabilize voltage" or "reduce power waste." While voltage stabilization can be useful in industrial settings, it doesn’t make much difference for typical home appliances. Most household appliances are already designed to run efficiently without the issues these devices claim to fix.

If you’re serious about saving on electricity, focus on practical solutions like upgrading to energy-efficient appliances, using smart home devices or adjusting your energy usage schedule.

WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)?

SNEAKY SCAMMERS DRAIN BANK ACCOUNT IN SINISTER PHONE PHISHING SCHEME

Too good to be true: Claims of reducing energy bills by 50% or more are often exaggerated and unrealistic.

Unsolicited emails: Receiving emails out of the blue, especially when you haven't shown interest in such products, is a common tactic used by scammers.

Use of celebrity names: Scammers frequently use well-known names like Elon Musk to lend credibility to their schemes.

Suspicious links: Be cautious of clicking on links in unsolicited emails. They can lead to phishing sites designed to steal your personal information. Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.

1. Verify the email: Phishing emails are a common tool scammers use to trick people into buying fake products or giving away personal information. These emails often look like they’re from legitimate sources, but they contain links that lead to fraudulent websites or prompt you to download malicious attachments. Always check the sender's email address and look for signs of a fake message, like poor grammar or urgent calls to action. 

2. Verify claims: If you're curious about a product, do some research from reputable sources before taking any action.

3. Do not click links: Avoid clicking on any links or downloading attachments from these emails. Instead, hover over the link to see its true destination. This can help you identify if it leads to a legitimate site or a malicious one.

4. Have strong antivirus software actively running on your devices: Ensure you have reliable antivirus software installed on your devices. Antivirus software helps protect your devices from malware, viruses and other security threats. Regularly update the software to ensure it can detect and remove the latest threats. Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.

5. Examine the website carefully: Scammers often create websites that look professional, but they’re easy to spot with a few simple checks. Look for missing or suspicious information, like the absence of a business address, phone number or business registration details. If there are fake testimonials or celebrity endorsements, that’s a red flag.

GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE

6. Don’t fall for "too good to be true" deals: Scammers rely on offering deals that seem too good to pass up, like massive discounts or a "limited time offer." If an ad claims you can save 50% or more on a product, be skeptical. Real, quality products usually don’t come with such extreme savings, and high-tech devices like those promoted by scammers rarely live up to the hype. If it feels like too good a deal, it probably is.

7. Watch out for unusual payment methods: One of the easiest ways to spot a scam is by how the scammers ask you to pay. If a website asks for payment upfront via credit card or PayPal with no option to verify or ship the product first, it's a major red flag. Scammers take your money upfront and have no intention of sending you anything of value. Stick to reputable payment methods that offer buyer protection and avoid sites that ask for payment without proper verification.

8. Mark spam email as junk or spam: Most email providers have a feature that allows you to flag spam emails and move them to a separate folder. This can help you filter out spam emails from your inbox and also improve the spam detection of your email provider.

9. Do not share your email address publicly or with unknown sources: This can reduce the chances of your email address being collected by spammers. You can also use a disposable email or email alias for signing up for online services that you do not trust or need.

10. Use a personal data removal service: Scammers can obtain your information from various online sources, including data brokers, people search sites and public records. Using a data removal service can help reduce your digital footprint, making it harder for scammers to access your personal information. This proactive step can be crucial in preventing identity theft and minimizing the chances of falling victim to scams.

While no service promises to remove all your data from the internet, having a removal service is great if you want to constantly monitor and automate the process of removing your information from hundreds of sites continuously over a longer period of time. Check out my top picks for data removal services here.

YOUR EMAIL DIDN'T EXPIRE, IT'S JUST ANOTHER SNEAKY SCAM

Impersonation scams are a common way scammers steal your money. They often use well-known names like Elon Musk or big companies like Microsoft and Walmart to make you trust them, then trick you into giving away your financial details. To stay safe, avoid unsolicited emails or texts that promote products or offers. If you need to buy something, stick to trusted sellers like Amazon, Best Buy or other reputable platforms. Always double-check the legitimacy of any offer before making a purchase, especially if it comes from an unfamiliar source.

Have you ever encountered a scam using a well-known name or brand? What happened? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.

Ask Kurt a question or let us know what stories you'd like us to cover.

Follow Kurt on his social channels:

Answers to the most asked CyberGuy questions:

New from Kurt:

Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.

The new federal Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) announced Friday that taxpayers will see just over a $1 billion savings through the elimination of 104 diversity, equity and inclusion-related (DEI) contracts.

As of Wednesday, DOGE had recorded the cancellation of 85 "DEIA" contracts from 25 federal agencies. By Friday afternoon, that number had grown to 104 contracts totaling $1,000,060,792, according to a DOGE news release.

Of note, 21 Department of the Treasury contracts were canceled, saving a total of $25,247,783. In second place was the Department of Health & Human Services, which canceled 15 contracts worth $28,187,448.

While the Office of Personnel Management only had three contracts canceled, the dollar figure was pinned at a whopping $494,956,233, an average of about $165 million per DEI contract.

TOP DOGE LAWMAKER SAYS TRUMP ‘ALREADY RACKING UP WINS FOR TAXPAYERS’ WITH EFFICIENCY INITIATIVES

The other agencies with the most contracts canceled by the Trump administration include Agriculture with 11 and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Homeland Security with seven each.

According to a release Monday from the Department of Veterans Affairs, 60 employees whose roles were solely focused on DEI were placed on administrative leave, and spokesperson Morgan Ackley said the administration is "laser focused on providing the best possible care and benefits to Veterans, their families, caregivers and survivors."

"We are proud to have abandoned the divisive DEI policies of the past and pivot back to VA’s core mission," Ackley said.

The rapid-fire DEI contract eliminations come one week after President Donald Trump signed an executive order targeting the endeavors, officially described as "ending illegal discrimination and restoring merit-based opportunity."

‘DOGE’-MEETS-CONGRESS: GOP LAWMAKER AARON BEAN LAUNCHES CAUCUS TO HELP MUSK ‘TAKE ON CRAZYTOWN’

However, a consortium of liberal state attorneys general lambasted Trump with a warning that the moves "have nothing to do with combating discrimination."

A  joint statement led by Rhode Island AG Peter Neronha Friday called the executive orders that led to the dismantling of DEI policies and programs "unnecessary and disingenuous."

Neronha and his co-signers — attorneys general from California, Illinois, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Vermont and Washington state — said they would agree to be "willing partners" in cracking down on discrimination if Trump chose instead to utilize "longstanding civil rights laws" rather than the path he has chosen.

"Contrary to President Trump’s assertions, the policies he seeks to end do not diminish the importance of individual merit, nor do they mean that employers are lowering their standards, hiring unqualified candidates, or engaging in race-and-sex-based preferences," the statement said.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

"DEIA initiatives simply ensure that there are fair opportunities for everyone, helping to maximize contributions from all employees and enabling businesses and organizations to succeed in their missions."

In Congress, Rep. Aaron Bean and Sen. Joni Ernst have been leading DOGE efforts to further curtail government waste and abuse.

Bean, a Republican from Jacksonville, Florida, founded the Congressional DOGE Caucus in November, and Ernst, Iowa, has led the charge to lobby for return-to-work requirements for federal employees and sales of unused or underused federal office space.

The Senate’s lead "DOGE" lawmaker said Friday that her quest for government efficiency is beginning to come full-circle, as the U.S. Department of Agriculture instituted a return-to-work mandate she said was first spurred by a 2024 whistleblower who contacted her office.

"The Trump administration, DOGE, and I are already racking up wins for taxpayers," Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, told Fox News Digital on Friday.

"Growing up on a farm, I know what working from home really means."

President Donald Trump, too, highlighted the difference between telework in white-collar jobs and Americans in agriculture and manufacturing who don’t have the luxury of working from a desk.

In remarks to reporters, Trump said that federal workers appear less productive when working from home and that the dynamic is "unfair to the millions of people in the United States who are, in fact, working hard from job sites and not from their home."

‘DOGE’-MEETS-CONGRESS: GOP LAWMAKER AARON BEAN LAUNCHES CAUCUS TO HELP MUSK ‘TAKE ON CRAZYTOWN’

He also warned federal workers they would have to report to the office or, "You’re fired."

In that regard, Ernst looked back on a whistleblower who came to her and alleged that USDA's District of Columbia offices were largely vacant.

That, she said, spurred her to outline policy proposals that eventually became "DOGE" – a term popularized by Trump ally Elon Musk.

"When I first discovered that the Department of Agriculture was a ghost town, I took action to end federal employees’ abuse of telework and get the agency working for Iowa farmers," said Ernst.

"I have put bureaucrats on notice that their four-year vacation is over, and we are just beginning to get Washington back to work and serving the American people."

A memo from Acting Agriculture Secretary Gary Washington obtained by Politico on Thursday ordered senior staff "with assigned duty stations" to work from their offices full-time. Additional guidance would follow for workers without a preassigned workstation.

Ernst characterized the memo as that full-circle moment.

DOGE SENATOR SEEKS TO ENSURE FEDS CAN CONTINUE PURSUING COVID FRAUDSTERS, DEBTORS AS IG SOUNDS ALARM

Ernst reportedly brought up her early concerns about teleworking bureaucrats and unused Washington office space running up tabs on the federal ledger during a meeting with Trump and Musk at Mar-a-Lago last year.

She previously compiled a report following an investigation into government waste and abuse through which $2 trillion in savings could be realized if the issues were addressed.

In a December statement highlighting that report, the House Budget Committee – now led by Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas – said the Biden administration’s condoning of mass telework "generated complacency in the workforce while costing taxpayers billions in unnecessary maintenance and upkeep costs."

"Early success means there is much more to come," a person familiar with the Senate’s DOGE work added.

According to a report from the Government Accountability Office, only 11% of the USDA's office space was occupied in the first quarter of 2023, and 75% of available space across 17 federal agencies has remained empty since the pandemic.

Ernst built her initial pre-formal-"DOGE" probes off of the USDA whistleblower, which is why she believes the latest development mandating return-to-work for agriculture bureaucrats is the issue now coming full-circle.

Rep. Aaron Bean, R-Fla., – the chairman and founder of the DOGE Caucus – praised Ernst's work and said taxpayers deserve to have a government operating at "full capacity."

"President Trump’s executive order requiring federal employees to return to work is the first step in improving government efficiency."

"This is just common sense, and the exact type of waste DOGE will continue to crack down on," Bean said.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Ernst’s first DOGE "win" came with the passage of an otherwise Democrat-favored bill named for former President Joe Biden’s longtime friend Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., and signed as both Delawareans were departing public service.

Within the Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act was a provision to compel the General Services Administration to sell the Wilbur J. Cohen Federal Building.

The block-long "stripped classicist" building southwest of the U.S. Capitol was designed by Philadelphia architect Charles Z. Klauder in the 1930s, and originally hosted the Social Security Administration.

However, its total occupancy dwindled to 2% – largely Voice of America workers – by 2025.

Another "DOGE" amendment sponsored by Ernst that requires agency oversight and reporting regarding telework was successfully added to a major appropriations bill passed in December.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment for purposes of this story but did not receive a response by press time. 

Maye Musk, mother of tech billionaire Elon Musk, is urging her son to sue CNN and other news outlets for peddling the "Nazi salute" narrative against him. 

At President Donald Trump's inauguration rally, Musk went viral over a gesture he made to the crowd the media widely linked to Adolf Hitler.

"That salute was evocative of things we’ve seen through history," CNN's Kasie Hunt reacted last week. "It’s not something you typically see at American political rallies." 

During a panel discussion on Monday night, CNN commentator Catherine Rampell accused Musk of making two "Sieg Heil" salutes, prompting her conservative colleague Scott Jennings to suggest to her and others to "lawyer up," forcefully rejecting her attacks against Musk. 

MEDIA OUTLETS ACCUSE ELON MUSK OF GIVING ‘FASCIST SALUTE’ AT TRUMP INAUGURATION RALLY

After an X user urged Elon Musk to sue Rampell and CNN for defamation, the billionaire replied "Good idea," something his mother immediately supported.

"I have been receiving so much hatred because of the @CNN panel with @crampell yelling about Nazi salutes," Maye Musk reacted on Tuesday. @ElonMusk, please sue them. Thank you @ScottJenningsKY for trying to intervene with the truth."

JOE ROGAN CALLS OUT LIBERALS FOR INSISTING MUSK USED NAZI SALUTE: ‘BULLS--- GAME’

Maye Musk supported the idea of suing PBS News and The Guardian following the suggestion they be sued by another X user, replying "You are right! Sue @guardian and @NewsHour too."

PBS News had posted on X, "Billionaire Elon Musk gave what appeared to be a fascist salute Monday while making a speech at the post-inauguration celebration for President Donald Trump at the Capital One Arena," later comparing the gesture as appearing "similar to the ‘Sieg Heil’ used by Nazis at their victory rallies."

The Guardian ran the headline "Elon Musk appears to make back-to-back fascist salutes at inauguration rally." 

STEFANIK EXCORIATES DEM FOR ELON MUSK ‘NAZI SALUTE’ ACCUSATION AT UN AMBASSADOR HEARING

She also appeared to endorse suing MSNBC's Rachel Maddow and former Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz, who told Maddow Tuesday night "Of course" the Tesla CEO made the "Nazi salute." Maddow previously said Musk's gesture provided a "bloodcurdling chill to the day," lumping it in to other signals of "authoritarianism" coming from Trump and those pardoned over Jan. 6. and invoking "the SA in Germany" all in the same monologue. 

On Wednesday, after an X user wrote "The Nazi hoax had gone on long enough," Ms. Musk replied "Agree, otherwise they won’t stop."

Her son already signaled he intends to sue Walz, writing on X "I think I will. Tim Walz is a creepy [clown]."

Defamation lawsuits have made headlines in recent weeks. Earlier this month, a jury found that CNN defamed Navy veteran Zachary Young over a 2021 report and ruled that he could seek punitive damages, which resulted in a settlement. 

Last month, ABC News settled a lawsuit brought by Trump for $15 million after anchor George Stephanopoulos falsely repeated the claim that the president was found "liable for rape" in the civil case brought by E. Jean Carroll.

Elon Musk’s sense of humor is out of this world. 

Seven years after the SpaceX CEO launched a Tesla Roadster into orbit, astronomers from the Minor Planet Center at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Massachusetts confused it with an asteroid earlier this month. 

A day after the astronomers with the Minor Planet Center registered 2018 CN41, it was deleted on Jan. 3 when they revealed that it was in fact Musk’s roadster. 

The center said on its website that 2018 CN41’s registry was deleted after "it was pointed out the orbit matches an artificial object, 2018-017A, Falcon Heavy Upper stage with the Tesla Roadster. The designation2018 CN41 is being deleted and will be listed as omitted."

 DEBRIS FROM SPACEX STARSHIP STREAKS THROUGH THE SKY

SpaceX launched the Tesla Roadster on the maiden flight of SpaceX's huge Falcon Heavy rocket in February 2018. 

The roadster was expected to go into elliptical orbit around the sun, going a little beyond Mars and back toward Earth, but it apparently exceeded the orbit of Mars and kept going to the asteroid belt, according to Musk at the time. 

When the roadster was mistaken for an asteroid earlier this month, it was less than 150,000 miles from Earth, which is closer than the moon’s orbit, according to Astronomy Magazine, meaning that astronomers would want to monitor how close it gets to Earth. 

POWERFUL WEBB TELESCOPE CAPTURES PHOTOS OF ONE OF THE EARLIEST SUPERNOVA EVER SEEN

Center for Astrophysics (CfA) astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell told Astronomy magazine that the mistake shows the issues with untracked objects. 

"Worst case, you spend a billion launching a space probe to study an asteroid and only realize it’s not an asteroid when you get there," he said.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Fox News Digital has reached out to SpaceX for comment. 

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., attacked the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) for defending what she claimed was a "Heil Hitler salute" by X CEO Elon Musk on Monday.

Musk spoke at an inauguration event for President Trump at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. where he excitedly addressed the audience.

"This is what victory feels like! And this was no ordinary victory, this was a fork in the road for human civilization… I just want to say thank you for making it happen, thank you. From my heart to yours," Musk told the roaring crowd of MAGA faithful. The SpaceX CEO placed his hand over his heart, then reached out to the crowd.

Several news outlets and commentators quickly accused Musk of giving a Nazi salute. However, the ADL wrote on X later that it believed it was just an enthusiastic gesture.

AOC WARNS TRUMP'S TIKTOK REVERSAL PROVES 'THIS IS THE EVE OF AN AUTHORITARIAN... 21ST CENTURY FASCISM'

"This is a delicate moment. It’s a new day and yet so many are on edge. Our politics are inflamed, and social media only adds to the anxiety. It seems that @elonmusk made an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute, but again, we appreciate that people are on edge. In this moment, all sides should give one another a bit of grace, perhaps even the benefit of the doubt, and take a breath. This is a new beginning. Let’s hope for healing and work toward unity in the months and years ahead," the ADL wrote.

The ADL's mission is "to stop the defamation of the Jewish people, and secure justice and fair treatment to all."

Ocasio-Cortez didn’t believe the statement and accused the organization of defending a Nazi salute.

"Just to be clear, you are defending a Heil Hitler salute that was performed and repeated for emphasis and clarity. People can officially stop listening to you as any sort of reputable source of information now. You work for them. Thank you for making that crystal clear to all," Ocasio-Cortez wrote.

Fox News Digital reached out to the ADL for a comment.

ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt previously criticized Ocasio-Cortez and other "Squad" House members in 2023 for their extreme positions on the Israel-Gaza war.

"I think Rashida Tlaib has been so marginalized in her own district. And like, AOC, I don't even see her in the media anymore. I think these individuals with their radical ideas have marginalized themselves," Greenblatt told Fox News Digital at the time.

AOC BLISTERED AFTER RESPONSE TO ELON MUSK SAYING SHE'S 'JUST NOT THAT SMART'

"So, I just think AOC doesn't matter that much. She's one of 430-something people, or Tlaib or Ilhan Omar, and we don't need to assign them any more influence because already you see that their influence has waned and weakened in the last few years as their positions have become more radical, and they've reduced their ability, I think, to reach a wider audience," Greenblatt continued. "There are extreme voices on all sides. Let's leave them on the fringe where they belong."

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is done at President Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative, a spokesperson confirmed on Monday.

The confirmation came a couple of hours after a source close to the multimillionaire biotech entrepreneur told Fox News Digital that Ramaswamy was no longer with DOGE.

And Ramaswamy, who along with Elon Musk, the world's richest person, was tapped in November by Trump to steer DOGE, is expected to launch a Republican campaign for Ohio governor early next week, according to the source.

"Vivek Ramaswamy played a critical role in helping us create DOGE," Trump-Vance transition spokesperson Anna Kelly, said in a statement to Fox News. "He intends to run for elected office soon, which requires him to remain outside of DOGE, based on the structure that we announced today. We thank him immensely for his contributions over the last 2 months and expect him to play a vital role in making America great again."

MUSK AND RAMASWAMY IGNITE MAGA WAR OVER SKILLED WORKER IMIMGRATION

Soon after, Ramaswamy took to social media to put out a statement.

"It was my honor to help support the creation of DOGE. I’m confident that Elon & team will succeed in streamlining government. I’ll have more to say very soon about my future plans in Ohio. Most importantly, we’re all-in to help President Trump make America great again!," he wrote.

GOP Gov. Mike DeWine of Ohio is term-limited and cannot seek re-election in 2026.

DeWine on Friday announced that Lt. Gov. Jon Husted would fill the U.S. Senate seat that was held by former Sen. JD Vance until earlier this month, when the vice president stepped down ahead of Monday's inauguration.

Before the Senate announcement, Husted had planned to run for governor in 2026 to succeed DeWine. Ramaswamy, for his part, had expressed interest in serving in the Senate. 

DeWine's decision to choose Husted to fill the vacant Senate seat appeared to accelerate Ramaswamy's move toward launching a run for governor.

Ramaswamy, 39, who launched his presidential campaign in February 2023, saw his stock rise as he went from a long shot to a contender for the Republican nomination.

CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING ON VIVEK RAMASWAMY

Ramaswamy campaigned on what he called an "America First 2.0" agenda and was one of Trump's biggest supporters in the field of rivals, calling Trump the "most successful president in our century."

He dropped his White House bid a year ago after a distant fourth-place finish in the Iowa caucuses and quickly endorsed Trump, becoming a top surrogate on the campaign trail.

Ramaswamy's exit appears to clear the way for Musk, Trump's top donor and key ally, to steer DOGE without having to share the limelight.

The move also comes a couple of weeks after Ramswamy and Musk sparked a firestorm among Trump's hard core MAGA supporters over their support for H-1B temporary worker visas for highly skilled workers from foreign countries.

Ramaswamy's comments criticizing an American culture that he said "venerated mediocrity over excellence" received plenty of pushback from leading voices on the far right.

Ohio, which was once a top general election battleground, has shifted red over the past decade as Republicans have dominated statewide elections.

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy’s newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is eying a proposal that would slash federal diversity and inclusion programs, according to a new report.

DOGE is tasked with eliminating government spending, waste and streamlining efficiency and operations, and is expected to influence White House policy on budget matters. 

The proposal circulating among DOGE advisors is a 19-page report from the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, a conservative and libertarian nonprofit organization, the Washington Post reports. 

Specifically, the document claims that there is more than $120 billion annually spent on "diversity, equity and inclusion" initiatives like Agriculture Department grants and loans for minority farmers and ranchers – efforts the organization claims are unconstitutional. 

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT DOGE AND ITS QUEST TO SLASH GOVERNMENT WASTE, SPENDING

Although it’s unlikely that the entirety of those funds will face complete elimination, sources told the Post that these diversity efforts will likely face cuts to free up spending. DOGE advisors have viewed the document, and it is making its rounds through the committee, the Post reports. 

"That’s been sent down from on high, that all this DEI stuff has to go," someone familiar with DOGE’s early plans told the Post. "Once all these guys get confirmed, and he’s the president on Jan. 20, this is going to happen fast and furious."

GOP REP-ELECT OUTLINES HOW DOGE, TRUMP AGENDA WILL GET COUNTRY 'BACK ON TRACK': 'NO MORE BUSINESS AS USUAL'

Musk is expected to occupy space in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building which is directly beside the West Wing and where the majority of office space for White House staffers exists, the New York Times reported this week. 

While Musk and transition officials have discussed the nature of the billionaire's access to Trump post-inauguration, solidified plans are pending, according to the Times, which noted that special passes are usually required in order to freely visit the West Wing.

DOGE is not part of the federal government, but the committee is expected to suggest executive orders for the Trump administration and partner with the Office of Management and Budget on new initiatives.

'EFFICIENT AND ACCOUNTABLE': GOP-LED DOGE BILL AIMS TO SLASH OUTFLOW OF FEDERAL DOLLARS

Altogether, DOGE seeks to slash $2 trillion from the federal government budget through cuts to spending, government programs and the federal workforce.

Even so, that plan may be a bit ambitious. Musk recently said that eliminating $2 trillion from the federal budget might not be realistic, and cutting $1 trillion was a more likely outcome. 

"I think we’ll try for $2 trillion. I think that’s like the best-case outcome," Musk said during tech trade show CES this month in Las Vegas. "But I do think that you kind of have to have some overage. I think if we try for $2 trillion, we’ve got a good shot at getting $1 [trillion]."

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is slated to speak at President-elect Donald Trump’s pre-inauguration rally on Sunday, according to a new report. 

Musk, who is poised to lead the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) once Trump takes office, will provide remarks during Trump's "Make America Great Again Victory Rally" at the Capitol One Arena in Washington, D.C., NBC News reports. 

Other speakers on the agenda for the event include Vice President-elect JD Vance, conservative media personality Megyn Kelly, as well as members of Trump’s immediate family. 

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT DOGE AND ITS QUEST TO SLASH GOVERNMENT WASTE, SPENDING

The Trump transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. 

Musk, who donated millions of dollars to Trump’s presidential campaign, has cozied up to Trump and spoken at official events with the incoming president. For example, Musk delivered remarks at a Trump campaign rally in October at Madison Square Garden in New York City. 

Musk is also expected to influence the incoming administration and is spearheading efforts with tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy to slash government spending under DOGE. 

GOP REP-ELECT OUTLINES HOW DOGE, TRUMP AGENDA WILL GET COUNTRY 'BACK ON TRACK': 'NO MORE BUSINESS AS USUAL'

DOGE, which is not a federal government agency, aims to eliminate government spending, waste and streamline efficiency and operations. 

It is seeking to cut $2 trillion from the federal government budget through efforts to slash spending, government programs and the federal workforce.

'EFFICIENT AND ACCOUNTABLE': GOP-LED DOGE BILL AIMS TO SLASH OUTFLOW OF FEDERAL DOLLARS

However, Musk recently said eliminating $2 trillion from the federal budget might be too ambitious, and that it was more realistic to cut $1 trillion.

"I think we’ll try for $2 trillion. I think that’s like the best-case outcome," Musk said during tech trade show CES this month in Las Vegas. "But I do think that you kind of have to have some overage. I think if we try for $2 trillion, we’ve got a good shot at getting $1 [trillion]."

President Biden warned in his farewell speech of an "ultra-wealthy" "oligarchy" posing a threat to America as big tech CEOs have been warming up to President-elect Trump in recent months — despite his own administration accepting donations from Democratic mega-donors. 

Biden spoke Wednesday as reports emerged this week that Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg – the three most wealthy people in the world who collectively are worth more than $850 billion, according to Forbes – will be seated next to Trump’s Cabinet picks and elected officials next Monday at his inauguration. 

"I have no doubt that America is in a position to continue to succeed. That's why in my farewell address tonight, I want to warn the country of some things that give me great concern. And that's the dangerous concentration of power in the hands of a very few, ultra-wealthy people. And the dangerous consequences if their abuse of power is left unchecked," Biden said from the Oval Office. 

"Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights, freedoms, and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead," Biden continued. "We see the consequences all across America, and we've seen it before, more than a century ago. But the American people stood up to the robber barons back then and busted the trust. They didn't punish the wealthy, they just made the wealthy play by the rules everybody else had to." 

BIDEN TAKENS SOLE CREDIT FOR ISRAEL-HAMAS DEAL, WARNS OF ‘OLIGARCHY’ IN FAREWELL SPEECH 

BIDEN'S BILLIONAIRES: SUPER RICH BACK DEM DESPITE PLEDGE TO RAISE THEIR TAXES

Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, Bezos, the founder of Amazon, and Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, have all met with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida following his election victory in November. 

During the election cycle, Musk gave at least $277 million in donations to help get Trump and other Republicans elected, according to The Washington Post, which cited filings from the Federal Election Commission. 

Tech giants including Amazon, Meta, Apple, Google and Microsoft are reported to have donated $1 million each to Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20. 

SOROS PUSHED $15M TO NONPROFIT LINKED TO BIDEN SUPER PAC TO TEST ‘CRITICAL’ POLICY ISSUES, TAX DOCS REVEAL

In 2023, George Soros and other prominent billionaires bolstered Biden's re-election efforts during the third quarter, filings reviewed by Fox News Digital show.

The deep-pocketed donors each cut six-figure contributions to the Biden Victory Fund — a joint fundraising venture that consists of Biden's campaign, the Democratic National Committee (DNC), all 50 state Democratic parties and Washington, D.C.'s Democratic committee — between July and September. 

Later in 2023, Fox News Digital confirmed that a Soros-funded group pushed $15 million to a nonprofit tied to Biden's main outside super PAC for the 2024 elections to evaluate crucial policy matters, records reveal.

Tax documents provided to Fox News Digital showed that the Open Society Policy Center, an advocacy nonprofit in the Soros-bankrolled Open Society Foundations network, funneled $15.18 million to Future Forward USA Action in 2022 for research and "content testing on critical policy issues." 

That same year, billionaire Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn co-founder, dropped a massive six-figure donation backing Biden's re-election bid.

As far back as 2020, billionaires Howard Schultz, former Starbucks CEO, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and investor Tom Steyer made substantial donations to the Biden campaign. 

BIDEN'S RE-ELECTION EFFORTS BOLSTERED BY MASSIVE DONATIONS FROM GEORGE SOROS AND OTHER BILLIONAIRES

For his part in the incoming Trump administration, Musk has been tasked with heading up the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which will examine issues of government spending, waste, efficiency and operations. 

In order to do that, Musk may occupy space in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building right next to the West Wing that houses the bulk of office space for White House staffers, the New York Times reported. 

HOLLYWOOD MOGULS, BILLIONAIRES FLOOD BIDEN'S VICTORY FUND WITH SIX-FIGURE DONATIONS

Biden also said in his farewell speech that American leadership and technology is an "unparalleled source of innovation that can transform lives," but "we see the same dangers, the concentration of technology, power and wealth." 

"You know, in his farewell address, President Eisenhower spoke of the dangers of the military industrial complex. He warned us then about, and I quote, the potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power, end of quote. Six decades later, I'm equally concerned about the potential rise of a tech industrial complex that could pose real dangers for our country, as well," Biden added. 

"Americans are being buried under an avalanche of misinformation and disinformation, enabling the abuse of power. The free press is crumbling. Editors are disappearing. Social media is giving up on fact checking. The truth is smothered by lies told for power and for profit," the president continued. "We must hold the social platform accountable to protect our children, our families and our very democracy from the abuse of power. 

"Meanwhile, artificial intelligence is the most consequential technology of our time, perhaps of all time. Nothing offers more profound possibilities and risks for our economy and our security, our society, for humanity. Artificial intelligence even has the potential to help us answer my call to end cancer as we know it. But unless safeguards are in place, AI could spawn new threats to our rights, our way of life, to our privacy, how we work and how we protect our nation. We must make sure AI is safe and trustworthy and good for all humankind," Biden said. 

Fox News’ Andrew Mark Miller, Joe Schoffstall, Jessica Chasmar and Diana Stancy contributed to this report. 

Longtime Trump ally Steve Bannon has pledged to have tech billionaire Elon Musk "run out" of the White House amid fiery debate over H-1B visas for skilled foreign workers.

Bannon made the remarks about Musk, who President-elect Trump has tapped to co-lead the Department of Government Efficiency, in an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. Bannon’s former employer, Breitbart, published excerpts of the interview in English.

"I will have Elon Musk run out of here by Inauguration Day," said Bannon, a former Trump White House adviser. "He will not have full access to the White House. He will be like any other person."

"He is a truly evil guy, a very bad guy," Bannon continued. "I made it my personal thing to take this guy down. Before, because he put money in, I was prepared to tolerate it; I’m not prepared to tolerate it anymore."

MUSK INFLAMES X WITH PROFANE MOVIE QUOTE IN DEFENSE OF H-1B VISA

Bannon’s spat with Musk appeared to be over immigration, specifically Musk’s support of H-1B visas that allow U.S. companies to hire foreign workers for specialty occupations and is overwhelmingly used by the tech industry.

"This thing of the H-1B visas, it's about the entire immigration system is gamed by the tech overlords, they use it to their advantage, the people are furious," Bannon said.

Software engineers and others in the tech industry have used H-1B visas for skilled foreign workers and say they are a critical tool for hard-to-fill positions. It has long been controversial for some conservatives, who say it is abused by tech companies to bring in cheap labor to replace American workers.

Born in South Africa, Musk was once on an H-1B visa himself and defended the industry's push to bring in foreign workers.

"There is a permanent shortage of excellent engineering talent," he said in a post. "It is the fundamental limiting factor in Silicon Valley."

Online debate over H-1B visas led Musk to label those in the Republican Party opposed to the visas as "hateful, unrepentant racists," and emphasize the need for "a meritocratic society."

TRUMP SAYS HE'S NOT CHANGED HIS MIND ON H-1B VISAS AS DEBATE RAGES WITHIN MAGA COALITION

Bannon said Musk "should go back" to South Africa. 

"Why do we have South Africans, the most racist people on earth, White South Africans, we have them making any comments at all on what goes on in the United States?" Bannon said.

"He will do anything to make sure that any one of his companies is protected or has a better deal or he makes more money," Bannon said of Musk. "His aggregation of wealth, and then — through wealth — power: that's what he's focused on."

Bannon was released from prison in October after completing a four-month sentence for contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with a subpoena related to a congressional investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, incident at the U.S. Capitol. 

While Musk’s influence on the incoming Trump administration remains unclear, Trump has appeared to side with the tech billionaire on the matter of H-1B visas.

"I’ve always liked the visas, I have always been in favor of the visas. That’s why we have them," Trump said in an interview with the New York Post last month. "I have many H-1B visas on my properties. I’ve been a believer in H-1B. I have used it many times. It’s a great program."

Trump has in the past criticized the H-1B visas, calling them "very bad" and "unfair" for U.S. workers, and even unveiled a "Hire American" policy that directed changes to the program to try to ensure the visas were awarded to the highest-paid or most-skilled applicants.

Fox News Digital's Adam Shaw and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX: A select group of tech industry titans and venture capitalists will gather in Washington, D.C., this week to welcome the incoming Trump administration and celebrate new opportunities for global innovation in artificial intelligence and entrepreneurship. 

Presidents and CEOs from companies on the cutting edge of AI tech and their big financial backers, along with personnel from the incoming administration, will attend a dinner on Thursday organized by Outside the Box Ventures, a firm founded last year by journalist-turned-investment banker Katherine Tarbox, along with Laurent Bili, the French ambassador to the U.S.

The list of those invited to Thursday's dinner includes "DOGE" chief Elon Musk, Silicon Valley investor and GOP mega-donor Peter Thiel, NVCA chief executive Bobby Franklin, incoming White House AI and crypto czar David Sacks, OpenAI's Sam Altman, investor Joe Lonsdale and Narya co-founder Colin Greenspon.

"This gathering represents more than discussion. We hope it symbolizes a new chapter in public-private collaboration to harness technology’s transformative power for the nation’s future," a source close to the planning told Fox News Digital. The event comes days before President-elect Trump is inaugurated as the nation's 47th president.

AI IS RESHAPING HOW WE LIVE AND WORK – HERE'S HOW TO USE IT EFFECTIVELY

America's leading entrepreneurs want to seize what Microsoft's Brad Smith has called a "golden opportunity for American technology and economic competitiveness." The aim is for the joined forces of industry leaders and government resources that Trump brought together for Operation Warp Speed, his first administration's lauded COVID-19 vaccine program, to be reproduced for advancements in AI. 

The participation of Bili reflects how France is interested in being a leader in AI, with a global action summit on the rapidly developing technology to be held in Paris this February, and believes the U.S. is a valuable partner in this effort. 

"We believe this is the hottest ticket for tech and venture capital up to the inauguration," the source said. The Trump transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

Franklin, the CEO of the National Venture Capital Association, the industry trade group for venture capital, confirmed he plans to attend. He told Fox News Digital there is great excitement in his industry for several of Trump's hires who have backgrounds in venture capital, including Sacks, a billionaire tech executive, and Vice President-elect JD Vance.

DOGE REPS LAUNCH MEETINGS WITH FEDERAL STAFFERS IN EFFORT TO CUT GOVERNMENT WASTE: REPORT

"One of our challenges is always educating, and there's always a lack of understanding of what the venture industry does, how it works with entrepreneurs, how it creates great tech and drugs and everything else in the economy," Franklin said. "And so having folks that understand that coming into the administration is a wonderful, welcome situation from our perspective." 

The dinner comes at a critical juncture for the U.S., which leads the world in AI startups but faces tough competition from China and other foreign adversaries. 

American companies received more than 40% of global AI funding in 2023, surpassing China and the European Union combined. That same year, U.S. venture capital firms unleashed $17.9 billion in funds for AI startups, contributing to the leaps and bounds in generative AI tech popularized by ChatGPT, Google's Gemini and Grok from xAI.

More than 10,000 AI-related patents have been filed by U.S. entities in the past five years, showcasing the deep bench of American innovators that Franklin and others believe Trump stands ready to support.

NEW REPORT WARNS OF GROWING NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT TO US AS CHINA BUILDS AI: ‘SIGNIFICANT AND CONCERNING’

But analysts warn that China's recent developments in AI technology pose a challenge to American dominance in this field and may even threaten U.S. national and economic security.

A recent report published by American Edge Project cautions that "China is rapidly advancing its own open-source ecosystem as an alternative to American technology and using it as a Trojan horse to implant its CCP values into global infrastructure."

The report called China's progress "both significant and concerning." 

"Chinese-developed open-source AI tools are already outperforming Western models on key benchmarks, while operating at dramatically lower costs, accelerating global adoption. Through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which spans more than 155 countries on four continents, and its Digital Silk Road (DSR), China is exporting its technology worldwide, fostering increased global dependence, undermining democratic norms, and threatening U.S. leadership and global security."

CRYPTO INDUSTRY CELEBRATES TRUMP APPOINTING DAVID SACKS AS AI, CRYPTO ‘CZAR’ TO LEAD INDUSTRY INNOVATION

There is a broad expectation that the Trump administration will let the private sector lead the way as the U.S. confronts China. Whereas the Biden administration prioritized establishing "guardrails" for AI development through regulatory bodies, analysts for Perkins Coie note that Trump has promised to revoke a Biden-era executive order that set policy for federal agency AI purchases and uses. The 2024 Republican platform claimed Biden's policy "hinders innovation and imposes Radical Leftwing Ideas," apparently in reference to requirements that the National Institute of Standards and Technology create guidance to ensure AI models are unbiased and do not discriminate based on race or sex.

Additionally, Trump's appointment of Sacks as AI czar signals his thinking on AI is in line with Sacks' associates Musk and Thiel, who each co-founded PayPal and favor a deregulatory agenda. 

"The new czar will likely be tasked with coordinating with federal agencies and outside stakeholders to ensure consistent guidance regarding AI use in the federal government. We would expect Sacks to be less focused on the potential harms of AI and more focused on promoting and facilitating AI innovation with fewer restraints," Perkins Coie said. 

Thursday's gathering is a strictly nonpartisan event, though Silicon Valley's high interest in building relationships with a Republican administration would seem to signal shifting political priorities. 

Previously, issues like immigration and climate change distanced Big Tech from the GOP. And when Trump first ran for president, his populist MAGA movement was an unknown factor that led many entrepreneurs to keep that distance. 

But a growing recognition of AI as a national priority has appeared to bridge that gap. So has a more clearly defined Trump, with key players in his second administration that have ties to the venture capital world.

"You know, it was certainly a political outsider that won in 2016," Franklin said. "Now, he's not an outsider."

Aides for Tesla and Space X CEO Elon Musk and tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy are starting to interview staffers with the federal government for the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), according to a new report. 

Representatives for DOGE have had conversations with staffers from more than a dozen federal agencies — including the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service, as well as the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Homeland Security, and Health and Human Services, The Washington Post reported Friday. 

Musk and Ramaswamy are leading DOGE, a blue-ribbon committee separate from the federal government that seeks to address issues concerning government spending, waste, efficiency and operations. They are expected to suggest executive actions for the Trump administration and partner with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to initiate reforms. 

Altogether, the committee aims to cut $2 trillion from the federal government budget through efforts to slash spending, government programs and the federal workforce. 

AMERICA'S NEWEST GOVERNOR TAKES PAGE FROM TRUMP WITH DOGE-LIKE COMMISSION

However, Musk recently cast doubt on the likelihood of eliminating $2 trillion from the federal budget and said there was a better chance at cutting $1 trillion. 

"I think we’ll try for $2 trillion. I think that’s like the best-case outcome," Musk said during tech trade show CES on Wednesday in Las Vegas, the Post reported. "But I do think that you kind of have to have some overage. I think if we try for $2 trillion, we’ve got a good shot at getting $1 [trillion]."

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have voiced support for working with DOGE, and Reps. Aaron Bean, R-Fla., and Pete Sessions, R-Texas, announced the creation of the Delivering Outstanding Government Efficiency (DOGE) Caucus last year. 

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT DOGE AND ITS QUEST TO SLASH GOVERNMENT WASTE, SPENDING 

"Our national debt has surpassed a staggering $36 trillion and should be a wakeup call for all Americans," House DOGE Caucus Co-Chair Bean said in a statement in November. "We must take action to avoid diving headfirst off the cliff of fiscal ruin. I’m thrilled with President-elect Trump’s appointment of Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to lead DOGE, but taking on Crazy Town will be no easy task — they will need partners."

Likewise, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, is slated to oversee the Senate DOGE Caucus.

"The tables are finally turning, the knives are out, and waste is on the chopping block," Ernst said in a November statement. 

Currently, DOGE boasts a staff of approximately 50 people who are working from SpaceX’s offices in Washington, D.C., and it is aiming to roughly double that number when President-elect Trump is sworn into office on Jan. 20, according to the Post. 

A representative for Ramaswamy declined to provide comment to Fox News Digital.

DOGE appears to be the source of inspiration for other similar initiatives at the state level. For example, Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte of swing state New Hampshire on Thursday announced the creation of the Commission on Government Efficiency, known as COGE.

"COGE will make us smarter than ever before when it comes to saving taxpayer dollars and finding better ways to serve the people of our state," Ayotte said in her inaugural address. 

EXCLUSIVE: The nation's Republican governors are making clear their "overwhelming support" for President-elect Trump's planned "Department of Government Efficiency," better known by its acronym DOGE.

In a letter to Congressional leaders that was shared first with Fox News on Friday, the governors said they fully support DOGE and emphasized the importance of balancing the federal budget.

"As chief executives for our states, we know a thing or two about streamlining government, removing unnecessary bureaucracy, and bringing efficient, result-driven solutions to state government.  We stand by President Trump as he works to do the same with the federal government," the governors said.

AMERICA'S NEWEST GOVERNOR TAKES PAGE FROM TRUMP BY SETTING UP DOGE-LIKE COMMISSION

Days after his presidential election victory in November, Trump tapped Elon Musk, the world's richest person, and former Republican presidential candidate and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy to steer DOGE.

The House of Representatives has set up an oversight subcommittee and the Senate has formed a DOGE caucus to work with Musk and Ramaswamy.

QUESTIONS YOU HAVE ABOUT DOGE ARE ANSWERED HERE

The governors highlighted that "our states are successful because we live within our means. We balance our budgets, lower taxes, leverage surpluses, pay down debt, improve the efficiency of state governments, and create an environment where our constituents can build a prosperous future for themselves, their family, and their community."

And they emphasized that "it is past time for Washington to live within its means too. We support President Trump’s appointment of Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy and agree with their assertion that the federal government needs to be cut down to size. We stand ready to help." 

Led by the Republican Governors Association (RGA) policy chair Gov. Henry McMaster of South Carolina, the letter was also signed by RGA chair Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia and 24 other GOP governors.

They are Govs. Kay Ivey of Alabama, Mike Dunleavy of Alaska, Sarah Sanders of Arkansas, Ron DeSantis of Florida, Brad Little of Idaho, Eric Holcomb of Indiana, Kim Reynolds of Iowa, Jeff Landry of Louisiana, Tate Reeves of Mississippi, Mike Parson of Missouri, Greg Gianforte of Montana, Jim Pillen of Nebraska, Joe Lombardo of Nevada, Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, Kelly Armstrong of North Dakota, Mike DeWine of Ohio, Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma, Kristi Noem of South Dakota, Bill Lee of Tennessee, Greg Abbott of Texas, Spencer Cox of Utah, Glenn Youngkin of Virginia, Jim Justice of West Virginia, and Mark Gordon of Wyoming.

The only one of the 27 Republican governors who didn't sign the letter was Gov. Phil Scott of Vermont. While a longstanding member of the RGA, Scott has a history of not attaching his name to many of their letters.

The letter was sent the day after many of the GOP governors dined with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida.