Elon Musk-Led DOGE Identifies $80M as Wasteful Expenditure in Pentagon

A Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) review found about $80 million in Pentagon spending on programs not aligned with the U.S. Defense Department's core mission, including diversity training and academic studies.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell shared initial findings in a social media video, highlighting expenditures such as $1.9 million on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training, $6 million to the University of Montana for a democracy program, and $1.6 million to the University of Florida for climate studies in Africa.

Parnell said these expenses do not support Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s focus on military readiness, lethality, and accountability. He added that the Pentagon is working closely with DOGE to identify further spending reductions.

Elon Musk's DOGE initiative claims to have saved $105 billion in government spending but has focused mainly on cutting contracts with small businesses and nonprofits. Large defense contractors like Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Northrop Grumman remain unaffected.

Critics argue that targeting small businesses while sparing major defense firms undermines broader budget reduction efforts. Some affected companies report severe financial strain, including layoffs and halted operations.

The Pentagon says it will continue reviewing expenditures to align with national security goals while DOGE’s broader impact on the $750 billion federal contract budget remains limited.