(The Hill) — Steve Bannon said the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) should adjust their goal of cutting trillions of dollars in federal waste and lower the proposed amount to the billion dollar category in an effort to curb inflation.“This is not a smear against DOGE. I love what DOGE is attempting to do, but the waste, fraud, and abuse is not going to be $1 trillion.
It’s just not going to be,” Bannon said during a Friday episode of his War Room podcast.Instead, he suggested the agency solidify a number within the billions for spending cuts to ward off attacks from Democrats.“We’ve got to cut federal spending.
It’s driving inflation, it’s driving everything, and I think the numbers are going to rapidly deteriorate, going to rapidly deteriorate and the Democrats are going to use that against President Trump,” Bannon told viewers, arguing there needs to be an "absolute number," as highlighted by Mediate. "Is it $25 billion? $50 billion, is it $100 billion? Is it $10 billion? I really don’t care what the number is right now," he added. "What is the absolute number? Let’s drive a stake in the ground.
”Trump has acknowledged the rise in inflation which has impacted consumers across the board but blamed the uptick on the previous administration. Last month, consumer expectations for inflation increased to their highest level in more than a year.Regardless, the president has remained confident in Musk’s ability to find $1 trillion in federal waste.