Rachel Abrams

Can you give me an example of that?

How would that even happen?

How would that even happen?

So that sounds very extreme. Did anything else stand out to you as you were going through this accounting process?

So that sounds very extreme. Did anything else stand out to you as you were going through this accounting process?

It almost sounds like these agencies are intentionally deceiving these guys from Doge because, as you described, they're saying, hey, look over here, look at this cut we made. But actually, that cut was made years prior. And you would think that whoever's flagging that to Doge would have known that from inside of the Treasury or wherever else.

It almost sounds like these agencies are intentionally deceiving these guys from Doge because, as you described, they're saying, hey, look over here, look at this cut we made. But actually, that cut was made years prior. And you would think that whoever's flagging that to Doge would have known that from inside of the Treasury or wherever else.

So is this a deliberate attempt at deception or what did you make of this?

So is this a deliberate attempt at deception or what did you make of this?

So at the end of the day, how much total savings does it actually seem like they made out of all these cuts they claimed on the website?

So at the end of the day, how much total savings does it actually seem like they made out of all these cuts they claimed on the website?

So, OK, that is obviously a huge discrepancy between what they claimed and what you actually were able to verify, which, again, just sort of speaks to the idea that this isn't a super well-oiled operation. Can you just tell us a little bit about the people who are actually in charge of making and accounting for these cuts within Doge?

So, OK, that is obviously a huge discrepancy between what they claimed and what you actually were able to verify, which, again, just sort of speaks to the idea that this isn't a super well-oiled operation. Can you just tell us a little bit about the people who are actually in charge of making and accounting for these cuts within Doge?

So, David, you have laid out how Doge has, intentionally or not, exaggerated its effectiveness and in cutting government spending so far, either because of mistakes or because of the types of contracts they're targeting. But my impression overall...

So, David, you have laid out how Doge has, intentionally or not, exaggerated its effectiveness and in cutting government spending so far, either because of mistakes or because of the types of contracts they're targeting. But my impression overall...

is that Elon Musk and Doge are responsible in large part for eliminating entire agencies like USAID, for example, making massive cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency, encouraging all these workers to take a buyout. It's felt like a real bloodletting within the federal government, within the That would obviously account for savings across the government.

is that Elon Musk and Doge are responsible in large part for eliminating entire agencies like USAID, for example, making massive cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency, encouraging all these workers to take a buyout. It's felt like a real bloodletting within the federal government, within the That would obviously account for savings across the government.

So I guess what I'm saying is that I understand the importance in holding this exercise that Doge is doing to account and doing this audit. But it kind of feels like when entire agencies are going away and being gutted, a little small potatoes to point out like some of the accounting errors on this list.

So I guess what I'm saying is that I understand the importance in holding this exercise that Doge is doing to account and doing this audit. But it kind of feels like when entire agencies are going away and being gutted, a little small potatoes to point out like some of the accounting errors on this list.

So, David, besides all of the mistakes that you uncovered, when you step back and you look at this wall of receipts, what is the bigger picture here? Like, what does all of this tell us about the larger project that is Doge?