CNN senior data reporter Harry Enten expressed surprise on Thursday about the popularity of President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cuts to the federal government.
DOGE, which has laid off thousands of federal workers in an effort to drastically reduce federal bureaucracy, claims on its website to have saved taxpayers an estimated $105 billion. Enten, on “CNN News Central,” said he thinks Americans are supportive of the cuts because they largely feel DOGE is targeting waste rather than essential programs.
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“This, to me, was one of the more shocking figures that I saw. Made me go, ‘Wait a minute, hold on one second, whoa!’ Americans on Trump and DOGE efforts, Musk and DOGE should influence government spending and operations: Look at this, 54%, the majority say that he and they should,” Enten told host Kate Bolduan, citing a February CBS News/YouGov poll. “How about approve of Trump trying to cut staff at government agencies? Again, you get a majority here, 51%.”
“So, yeah, Elon Musk might not be that popular, but these cuts and the idea of spending cuts, at least within the federal government and cutting at government agencies, that actually has majority support,” he continued. “I was truly surprised by this, Kate. But the numbers are the numbers.”
Bolduan asked Enten what Americans believe Trump and DOGE are “cutting” in the federal government.
“What do they think they’re actually cutting? Democrats want to argue that the type of spending that Musk is cutting is mainly necessary programs, but that comes in at just 36%,” the data reporter answered. “The wasteful spending actually wins the plurality here at 42%, according to a recent Washington Post/Ipsos poll.”
“And I think that is the reason why you see that when it comes to … Musk and DOGE, you see, in fact, the majority believe he should have some influence, because they believe, the plurality believe that he is cutting wasteful spending, not necessarily programs that Democrats are arguing,” he added.
Democrats have protested DOGE cuts, including outside the headquarters of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Treasury Department on Feb. 4 after Musk announced plans to shutter USAID.
Moreover, Democratic Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett asserted in February that she does not believe there is substantial waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government.
CNN anchor Pamela Brown said in February that her network confirmed DOGE had cut “gender-affirming health care in Guatemala, teaching people in Kazakhstan to fight back against internet trolls, voluntary male circumcisions in Mozambique, creating work opportunities for young LGBTQI+ people in Serbia.”
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