Elon Musk Highlights Government Waste Initiative with Throwback to Obama-Era Campaign

Elon Musk recently drew attention to his proposed “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) by sharing a clip from over a decade ago featuring former President Barack Obama launching a similar initiative. The resurfaced video from 2011 shows Obama unveiling the “Campaign to Cut Waste,” a program aimed at identifying and eliminating unnecessary government expenses.

Musk posted the clip on his social media platform, X, and commented on its relevance, writing, “Sounds exactly like DOGE.” His point was clear: efforts to improve efficiency and cut down on wasteful government spending are not new—but they remain necessary.

In the video, Obama speaks candidly about wasteful spending and stresses the importance of making government operations more efficient. He mentions specific examples, including a little-known website dedicated to a musical group of forest rangers called the “Fiddlin’ Foresters.” While joking that he’d listen to their music, Obama questioned the need for taxpayer dollars to fund the group’s online presence.

He also cited other areas of inefficiency, like thousands of government-owned buildings that were unused yet still maintained at taxpayer expense. A notable example he shared was a large, empty warehouse in Brooklyn that had sat idle due to bureaucratic red tape.

“We need to go after every dime,” Obama stated in the video. “We need to make government work for you.”

To lead the effort, Obama appointed then–Vice President Joe Biden, saying Biden would oversee the initiative to root out unnecessary expenditures across federal departments and agencies. “Nobody messes with Joe,” he said, adding a touch of humor to the announcement.

Biden, in turn, emphasized a broader vision for government reform. He spoke about the importance of transparency and accountability, noting that beyond cutting waste, the goal was to shift the culture of government towards one of long-term efficiency and responsibility. “We’re not just eliminating fraud and waste,” Biden said. “We hope to instill an entire new culture.”

The original clip, recorded ahead of Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign, was part of a broader effort at the time to demonstrate fiscal responsibility and improve public trust in government operations.

While Musk’s repost prompted comparisons between DOGE and Obama’s earlier program, reactions were mixed. Some viewers saw it as a reminder that improving government efficiency has been a bipartisan concern for years, while others questioned whether such initiatives have led to significant long-term savings.

Musk has positioned DOGE as part of his broader vision for streamlining government, drawing parallels with how private companies optimize operations. By highlighting a similar message from a past administration, he emphasized that government reform is an ongoing challenge rather than a novel idea.

The discussion underscores a broader public concern about effective use of taxpayer money. Whether through DOGE or previous campaigns like Obama’s, the goal remains the same: to ensure government spending is responsible, transparent, and serves the needs of the public.