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Democrats are setting their sights on Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency now that they have won control of Congress. Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland told Fox News Digital that the cost-cutting effort Musk once led will face scrutiny once Democrats take power. “Look…DOGE was a catastrophe for America, and at least one committee, I feel pretty certain, will investigate it. It needs to investigate it,” Raskin said.
Raskin went further in attacking the program. “I mean the whole thing was premised on a lie, and our private information was completely compromised by it,” he said. The comments come as Democrats in both chambers vow to use investigative committees and subpoena power to examine the Trump administration after Tuesday’s blue wave, and Musk has emerged as one of the most prominent potential targets.
Details & Background
Musk helped launch DOGE at the start of President Donald Trump’s second term with the goal of rooting out waste and making federal spending more transparent. Musk later stepped away from his government role, and DOGE is now described as previously led by him. The effort included deferred resignations and buyouts at federal agencies, and it contributed to a significant downsizing of the federal workforce, which shrank by about 250,000 employees during 2025, according to the Government Accountability Office.
Critics have raised concerns about DOGE’s access to Americans’ sensitive information, and Democratic lawmakers have also suggested examining Musk’s companies’ multibillion-dollar contracts with the federal government and his role in cutting internet access to the Ukrainian military, according to Fox News. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries have so far sidestepped questions about whether they will launch a probe of Musk himself.
Reactions
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a frequent critic of the administration, agreed that DOGE deserves a closer look. “I think there should be a lot of inspection of what DOGE did,” Pritzker told Fox News Digital. “I think that was pretty awful.” But he drew a surprising line when asked about targeting Musk personally, saying, “I don’t know about focusing on one person.” Pritzker also said he had never “heard anything like that” when asked about a possible probe of Musk and DOGE.
Raskin, for his part, said he had “no specific plan” for how investigations would proceed, but he expressed confidence that at least one committee would take up the matter. Democratic leaders have said their oversight agenda will reach well beyond Musk, extending to Trump and much of his administration. Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, has been one of the party’s most aggressive voices on oversight, and his prediction suggests DOGE will be among the first items on the new majority’s investigative agenda.
Why This Matters to You
DOGE was one of the most visible attempts in decades to cut the size and cost of the federal government. A Democratic investigation could put those cuts under a microscope, and it could set the stage for efforts to restore agencies, programs and jobs that were eliminated. For taxpayers who supported trimming Washington’s spending, the outcome of these probes could determine whether those savings last or are reversed once the new Congress takes over. It could also affect how future administrations approach cutting waste, since any effort to shrink the bureaucracy may now come with the risk of years of investigations.
The fight also shows how Democrats plan to use their new power. Subpoenas, hearings and document requests aimed at one of the most influential business leaders in the world would send a message to anyone who works with the Trump administration. Whether these investigations uncover real wrongdoing or turn into political theater, they will dominate headlines in the months ahead and help define the battle between the White House and Congress heading into 2028.
