The efforts led by Elon Musk and his “Department of Government Efficiency” to uncover all the fraud and waste of the federal government has been, to the surprise of many average Americans, facing a ton of controversy in recent weeks. Most Americans are applauding the Trump allies for trying to help save the taxpayers from being abused more and more by a fat federal government that knows no such thing as fiscal responsibility.
Every day, the “DOGE” organization is updating Americans on how they are identifying millions and billions of taxpayer dollars to save by cutting outright waste. So much of the federal government’s budget can be wasteful overhead that should be corrected so Americans can keep that money in their pockets instead of being sucked up by the endless hole of the federal government.
Naturally, mainstream media outlets and establishment talking heads are criticizing the Trump administration and its allies for supposedly “destroying America’s institutions.” Meanwhile, any average American is cheering on these common sense cuts to bureaucracy and waste. You can always rely on the media to spin things to make Donald Trump and his allies look bad, but White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt isn’t putting up with it.
White House Press Secretary Confronts NBC Reporter Over Social Security Fraud Claims
During a Friday gaggle with reporters, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt engaged in a tense exchange with NBC reporter Peter Alexander regarding claims of fraud and waste in the Social Security Administration. The confrontation unfolded as Alexander questioned Leavitt’s comments about the extent of fraud in the system, following the appointment of Leland Dudek, the head of the Social Security Administration’s anti-fraud office, as the agency’s acting head.
Leavitt’s remarks came in response to reports surrounding improper payments made by the Social Security Administration. President Donald Trump had appointed Dudek after Michelle King resigned from her post, following a dispute with employees at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Alexander pressed Leavitt on the specifics of the fraud claims, and her response quickly turned contentious.
“It’s a clever question. First of all, I think all Americans would agree that funding mastectomies in Mozambique is not something that the American people should be funding — or DEI [Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion] programs,” Leavitt began. “I think it’s fraudulent that the American government has been ripping off taxpayers in this way.” She continued, making reference to a report from the Social Security Administration’s Inspector General that detailed substantial fraud within the agency.
“We also do know there has been extensive fraud, particularly if you look at Social Security. In fact, according to an IG report from the Social Security Administration, there was $71 billion worth of fraud in one single fiscal year that we know about. And so, that is a lot of fraud, Peter, that the government has admitted to. So this administration is committed to finding even more of that fraud, waste, and abuse,” Leavitt said, directing the conversation back to the issue of fraud.
Alexander quickly interrupted, seeking clarification on the figures. “To be clear, that $71 billion was from 2015 to 2022, so it wasn’t in just one year,” he asserted. Leavitt, however, remained firm in her stance, responding with a simple but forceful reply: “71 billion.”
According to an August 2024 report by the Social Security Administration’s Inspector General, improper payments totaled at least $71 billion between fiscal years 2015 and 2022. These improper payments are a combination of overpayments, underpayments, and fraud. Following his return to office, Trump issued an executive order establishing DOGE on January 20, 2025, as part of his promise to eliminate federal waste. Since DOGE’s formation, it has reportedly identified at least $55 billion in savings.
As the exchange continued, Alexander attempted to clarify the timeline of the improper payments, but Leavitt turned the conversation back to the central issue, suggesting that Alexander was attempting to defend the government’s alleged misuse of taxpayer funds.
“So are you defending $71 billion in fraud, Peter? That’s a lot of money. Far too much,” Leavitt pressed. “And that’s why this administration—why is the media so against cutting waste, fraud, and abuse from the government? I don’t get it.” Alexander, attempting to maintain his role as a neutral questioner, responded, “I just want to ask a question.”
Undeterred, Leavitt continued to hammer home her point, reiterating the administration’s commitment to addressing what she described as waste, fraud, and abuse within the government.
“We won’t be deterred — we will not be deterred from people like you and the press who are clearly adamantly opposed to cutting waste, fraud, and abuse, but we know that American taxpayers at home, who have been struggling with an inflationary crisis, don’t want their tax dollars going towards crazy DEI programs in countries overseas,” she said, referencing the broader context of government spending. “They also don’t like the fact that there has been $71 billion worth of fraud in Social Security and improper payments going out the door. That’s a problem that needs to be fixed, and President Trump is going to fix it. That’s your fifth question.”
What do you think about the DOGE efforts? Should they stay the course and keep finding fraud to cut? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
