Why Elon Musk Hasn’t Come Close to $1 Trillion in Cuts

“After several months of cutting government contracts, grants, leases and workers, Elon Musk seems to be realizing what budget nerds have long known: His oft-repeated goal of cutting $1 trillion from the federal budget through executive action alone is extremely difficult,” the New York Times reports.

“In a cabinet meeting this week, he appeared to offer a more modest target, saying he expected to achieve savings of $150 billion. There was always a good reason the original $1 trillion goal was out of reach: The part of the budget that Mr. Musk has been mining for savings was expected to total only $950 billion next year.”