A new chapter has begun for the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency, now focusing on eliminating “woke” overseas initiatives that previously went unnoticed in its initial review of agencies like USAID.
Within the first month of Trump’s second term, the newly established cost-cutting department dismantled the U.S. Agency for International Development, an extensive network of over 10,000 employees operating worldwide with a $40 billion annual budget. As part of this effort, DOGE, alongside advisor Elon Musk, highlighted instances of what they deemed wasteful spending, citing expenditures such as millions of dollars on “gender equality and women empowerment hubs” and “biodiversity conversations.”
DOGE revealed on Tuesday that similar progressive initiatives are being carried out by other federal agencies as well.
“On Tuesday, agencies terminated 113 wasteful contracts with a ceiling value of $4.7 billion, resulting in savings of $3.3 billion, including a $145,000 USDA consulting contract for ‘Peru climate change activities,’” the department posted on X.
Additionally, DOGE announced that the U.S. Department of Labor had canceled $577 million in “America Last” grants, reducing taxpayer costs by approximately $237 million.
According to Fox News, some of the terminated programs include:
- $10 million for “gender equity in the Mexican workplace”;
- $12.2 million for “worker empowerment in South America”; and
- $6.25 million for “improving respect for workers’ rights in agricultural supply chains” in Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador.
Other USDOL programs targeted for closure include:
- $5 million to boost women’s workforce participation in West Africa
- $4.3 million to support foreign migrant workers in Malaysia
- $3 million to improve Social Security access and worker protections for internal migrants in Bangladesh
- $3 million for promoting safe and inclusive workplaces in Lesotho
Now in its third month of government-wide cost-cutting reviews, DOGE—under the direction of special employee Elon Musk—continues its aggressive push to eliminate wasteful spending. President Trump has granted Musk an 18-month mandate to scrutinize federal bureaucracies, with the self-declared goal of saving taxpayers over $1 trillion in the first year.
A major portion of these savings is expected to help fund a permanent extension of Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, currently under debate in the U.S. House. Any remaining surplus could potentially be distributed directly to Americans as part of what the president has referred to as a “DOGE dividend.”
Overseas programs have proven to be a particularly lucrative area for savings, providing ample opportunities for Trump and Musk to trim federal expenditures. In addition to DOGE’s initiatives, the president has announced plans to establish an External Revenue Service to recover unpaid costs from foreign nations. Meanwhile, his ongoing tariff battles with China, Mexico, and Canada are aimed at reducing the U.S. trade deficit, redirecting funds toward domestic production and job creation.
