Title: “Elon Musk Exposes 5 Jaw-Dropping Government Waste Scandals as DOGE Mission Nears End!”
On March 7, 2025, Elon Musk, the billionaire innovator and head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), sat down with Fox News’ Tucker Carlson to share the most shocking discoveries his team uncovered while working to slash federal spending. Musk, who will soon step down from his role due to Office of Government Ethics rules limiting “special government employees” to 130 days of service per year, reflected on his time at DOGE, which was created by President Trump on Inauguration Day with a goal of cutting $2 trillion from the federal budget. As his tenure winds down, Musk revealed five egregious examples of government waste that have left taxpayers stunned.
Taliban Member on the Payroll
One of the most alarming findings was that the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) paid $132,000 to Mohammad Qasem Halimi, a former Taliban member and Afghanistan’s ex-Chief of Protocol. Halimi, who was detained by U.S. forces at Bagram Air Base in 2002, later served as Afghanistan’s Minister of Hajj and Religious Affairs in 2020. A DOGE investigation led to the cancellation of the contract on March 31. “The so-called Institute of Peace was anything but peaceful,” a DOGE official told Carlson. “We found loaded weapons in their headquarters, private jet expenses, and payments to a Taliban figure—it’s unbelievable.”
Lavish School District Spending
DOGE audits uncovered that school districts misused $200 billion in COVID-relief funds on extravagant purchases with little benefit to students. Utah’s Granite School District spent $86,000 on hotel rooms at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas for a conference, while California’s Santa Ana Unified dropped $393,000 to rent a Major League Baseball stadium, according to a report by Parents Defending Education. Other questionable expenditures included $60,000 on swimming-pool passes and an ice cream truck purchased by a California district, prompting outrage from parents and watchdog groups.
‘Sesame Street’ Goes to Iraq
Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.), a vocal supporter of DOGE’s mission, highlighted a $20 million USAID project to fund a version of “Sesame Street” in Iraq, called “Ahlan Simsim Iraq.” The initiative, backed by Sesame Workshop during the Biden administration, aimed to foster “inclusion and understanding” across Iraq’s ethnic and religious groups. Critics, including Paul, called the expenditure a wasteful use of taxpayer dollars, arguing that such funds should be redirected to domestic priorities.
Staggering Improper Payments
A March Government Accountability Office (GAO) report revealed that federal agencies made $162 billion in improper payments, a decrease from the previous year’s $236 billion but still a massive sum. The bulk of these errors stemmed from five programs under the Department of Health and Human Services, Medicare/Medicaid, the Treasury, the Department of Agriculture, and the Small Business Administration. DOGE has used this data to push for stricter oversight and accountability in federal spending.
Slashed DEI Funding
Aligning with Trump’s campaign promise to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, DOGE has cut hundreds of millions of dollars from DEI contracts. Musk emphasized that these programs often prioritize ideology over merit, a stance that has resonated with conservatives but drawn criticism from progressive groups who argue the cuts undermine workplace equity.
As Musk prepares to exit DOGE, his revelations have sparked renewed calls for government reform, with many wondering how deep the waste goes.
