The Big Three (ABC, CBS, NBC) networks are freaking out over the Trump administration’s cuts of their beloved big government programs.
They’ve filled their broadcasts with sob stories of federal workers losing jobs and fearmongering over how that may hurt everything from food and airline safety to how fast the IRS can issue refunds.
What they’ve hidden from their viewers is how Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have already saved the hard-working American taxpayer billions of dollars by canceling boondoggle government contracts.
In 16 days of coverage (February 8 - February 24) ABC, CBS, NBC (on their evening and morning shows) spent a total of (1 minute, 53 seconds) citing specific dollar amounts that DOGE or President Donald Trump claimed to have saved the American taxpayer.
ABC (0 seconds) spent the least amount of time on specified DOGE savings. NBC spent just 26 seconds. CBS spent a total of 1 minute, 27 seconds on DOGE savings claims.
For this study MRC analysts looked at the broadcast evening (ABC World News Tonight, CBS Evening News, NBC Nightly News) and morning news shows (ABC’s Good Morning America, CBS Mornings, CBS Saturday Morning, CBS Sunday Morning, NBC Today) from the morning of February 8 (the day after the first citation on DOGE’s website) through the morning of February 24.
Even then the claims were met with dismissive skepticism. This take from CBS correspondent Weijia Jang was typical: “Last night, DOGE posted on its website what it called a wall of receipts to show its findings to date. So far, it has identified roughly $14 billion worth of federal program cuts, including at least 140 DEI contracts and grants. But all the money allocated was approved by Congress. And DOGE did not provide evidence of a single case of fraud, or even alleged fraud.”
What the networks refused to tell their viewers about is how some of the contracts killed by DOGE funded leftist causes, for example: $50 million for a “Biden-era environmental justice grant” that promoted “climate justice travels through a Free Palestine.”
If the networks actually wanted to tell their viewers about specific savings in wasteful contracts they could’ve cited any of the following announcements (via DOGE’s official website):
DOGE Discovers Schools Wasted Covid-Relief Funds on Renting Out MLB Stadium and Caesars Palace Hotel Rooms, Demands Receipts Going Forward
On February 19, DOGE Announced:
Schools have spent nearly $200B of COVID-Relief funds with little oversight or impact on students. $393K to rent out a Major League Baseball stadium, $86K in Caesars Palace hotel rooms, $60k in swimming pool passes, and even an ice cream truck. All of this money was drawn with zero documentation.
There is $4B left and the new @usedgov is setting a simple new rule - all grantees must provide receipts for every purchase BEFORE funding is released.
ABC, CBS, NBC evening and morning show coverage: Zero seconds.
DOGE Cuts Millions, Including $10 Million for Mozambique Male Circumcision and $40 Million for a “Gender Equality and Women Empowerment Hub”
On February 15, DOGE announced:
US taxpayer dollars were going to be spent on the following items, all which have been cancelled:
- $10M for "Mozambique voluntary medical male circumcision"
- $9.7M for UC Berkeley to develop "a cohort of Cambodian youth with enterprise driven skills"
- $2.3M for "strengthening independent voices in Cambodia"
- $32M to the Prague Civil Society Centre
- $40M for "gender equality and women empowerment hub"
- $14M for "improving public procurement" in Serbia
- $486M to the “Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening,” including $22M for "inclusive and participatory political process" in Moldova and $21M for voter turnout in India
- $29M to "strenghening political landscape in Bangladesh"
- $20M for "fiscal federalism" in Nepal
- $19M for "biodiversity conversation" in Nepal
- $1.5M for "voter confidence" in Liberia
- $14M for "social cohesion" in Mali
- $2.5M for "inclusive democracies in Southern Africa"
- $47M for "improving learning outcomes in Asia"
- $2M to develop "sustainable recycling models" to "increase socio-economic cohesion among marginalized communities of Kosovo Roma, Ashkali, and Egypt"
ABC, CBS, NBC evening and morning show coverage: Zero seconds.
DOGE Highlights Department of Education Cutting $33 Million in Grants to Equity Assistance Centers, Including One That Pushed Critical Race Theory
On February 13, DOGE announced:
The Department of Education terminated grants to the four “Equity Assistance Centers” totaling $33M. One provided “professional learning around critical race theory and racial literacy.”
ABC, CBS, NBC evening and morning show coverage: Zero seconds.
DOGE Highlights EPA Cancelling $50 Million Grant to Pro-Palestinian Climate Group
On February 13, DOGE re-posted EPA Director Zeldin:
I just cancelled a $50 MILLION Biden-era environmental justice grant to the Climate Justice Alliance, which believes “climate justice travels through a Free Palestine.”
ABC, CBS, NBC evening and morning show coverage: Zero seconds.
DOGE Verifies Department of Education Cuts to Wasteful Programs
On February 12, DOGE re-posted Department of Education announcement:
Instead of improving outcomes for students, here’s where taxpayer dollars were going:
- $4.6M contract to coordinate zoom and in-person meetings
- $3.0M contract to write a report that showed that prior reports were not utilized by schools
- $1.4M contract to physically observe mailing and clerical operations
ABC, CBS, NBC evening and morning show coverage: Zero seconds.
DOGE Highlights EPA Director Canceling Politico Subscriptions Totaling $458,919/year
On February 12, DOGE re-posted EPA Director Lee Zeldin:
EPA will not be renewing our membership with Politico and Politico E&E, saving the American taxpayers $458,919 per year.
ABC, CBS, NBC evening and morning show coverage: Zero seconds.
DOGE Highlights EPA Cancelled 3 DEI Contracts Totaling $45 Million
On February 12, DOGE announced:
Awesome job by @epaleezeldin @EPA
EPA also cancelled 3 DEI contracts, saving American taxpayers $45M.
ABC, CBS, NBC evening and morning show coverage: Zero seconds.
DOGE Exposes Inefficiency of Federal Worker Retirement Records Being Kept In Old Limestone Mine
On February 11, DOGE announced:
Federal employee retirements are processed using paper, by hand, in an old limestone mine in Pennsylvania. 700+ mine workers operate 230 feet underground to process ~10,000 applications per month, which are stored in manila envelopes and cardboard boxes. The retirement process takes multiple months.
ABC, CBS, NBC evening and morning show coverage: Zero seconds.
Department of Education Eliminated 89 Contracts Saving $881 Million, One Contractor was paid $1.5 Million to “Observe Mailing and Clerical Operations”
On February 10, DOGE announced:
Also today, the Department Of Education terminated 89 contracts worth $881mm. One contractor was paid $1.5mm to “observe mailing and clerical operations” at a mail center.”
ABC, CBS, NBC evening and morning show coverage: Zero seconds.
Department of Education Terminated 29 DEI Training Grants for a $101 Million Savings
On February 10, DOGE announced:
Today, the Department of Education terminated 29 DEI training grants totaling $101mm. One sought to train teachers to “help students understand / interrogate the complex histories involved in oppression, and help students recognize areas of privilege and power on an individual and collective basis.”
ABC, CBS, NBC evening and morning show coverage: Zero seconds.
$9 Million Saved in Elimination of 18 Department of Agriculture Contracts, Including “Central American Gender Assessment Consultant Services”
On February 10, DOGE announced:
Today, the Department of Agriculture terminated 18 contracts for a total of ~$9mm, including contracts for “Central American gender assessment consultant services”, “Brazil forest and gender consultant services”, and the “women in forest carbon initiative mentorship program.”
ABC, CBS, NBC evening and morning show coverage: Zero seconds.
Wasteful Contracts Across 35 Agencies Terminated, Saving $250 Million
On February 7, DOGE announced:
Great coordination across 35 agencies over the last two days to terminate 199 wasteful contracts saving ~$250mm, including:
-Contract for “Asia Pacific - Sri Lanka climate change mitigation adaption and resilience coordinator services for forest service”
-Workshop for “Intercultural communication diversity dialogue circle communicating across differences”
ABC, CBS, NBC evening and morning show coverage: 41 seconds. The Sri Lanka contract was mentioned in the following 41 second portion from the February 18 edition of CBS Evening News:
CORRESPONDENT WEIJA JANG: This is what White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt pointed to as proof when asked about the fraud that Elon Musk’s team claims to have uncovered.
KAROLINE LEAVITT: This is a DEI contract. $36,000 for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration services. This is a $3.4 million contract, a counsel for inclusive innovation at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Oh, I love this one, $57,000 for climate change in Sri Lanka.
JANG: When pressed if those are simply things that don’t align with President Trump’s policies, Leavitt said.
LEAVITT: I would argue that all of these things are fraudulent, they are wasteful, and they are an abuse of the American taxpayer’s dollar.
The following are the relevant transcripts of the network segments that attached an actual dollar amount in DOGE savings:
CBS Saturday Morning
February 8, 2025[6 seconds]
CORRESPONDENT WILLIE JAMES INMAN: DOGE claims to have saved $1 billion on DEI-related contracts and with more cuts to come.
...
CBS Mornings
February 12, 2025[15 seconds]
CORRESPONDENT NANCY CORDES: And yet despite that promise of transparency his operation called DOGE gave no rationale Tuesday for the 89 Department of Education research contracts it abruptly terminated, worth more than $900 million.
...
CBS Evening News
February 18, 2025[66 seconds]
CORRESPONDENT WEIJIA JANG: This is what White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt pointed to as proof when asked about the fraud that Elon Musk’s team claims to have uncovered.KAROLINE LEAVITT: This is a DEI contract. $36,000 for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration services. This is a $3.4 million contract, a counsel for inclusive innovation at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Oh, I love this one, $57,000 for climate change in Sri Lanka.
JANG: When pressed if those are simply things that don’t align with President Trump’s policies, Leavitt said.
LEAVITT: I would argue that all of these things are fraudulent, they are wasteful, and they are an abuse of the American taxpayer’s dollar.
JANG: Last night, D.O.G.E. posted on its website what it called a wall of receipts to show its findings to date. So far, it has identified roughly $14 billion worth of federal program cuts, including at least 140 DEI contracts and grants. But all the money allocated was approved by Congress. And D.O.G.E. did not provide evidence of a single case of fraud, or even alleged fraud.
...
NBC Nightly News
February 12, 2025[20 seconds]
KELLY O’DONNELL: New tonight, a separate move to halt taxpayer spending for migrants. The Department of Homeland Security announced that Secretary Kristi Noem clawed back $59 million that had been paid to provide hotel housing for migrants in New York City. The city says its exploring litigation to get the money back.
...
NBC Nightly News
February 21, 2025[6 seconds]
Clip of Donald Trump: “We found billions, tens of billions of dollars of fraud, waste and abuse. And that’s just the beginning.”
