Department of Government Efficiency

Lovett proposes that a competent reform effort would have worked department by department with agency heads.

“You can imagine a completely different version of Doge where there's a team and over a few weeks they go and they meet with department heads”

Pod Save America: Deep State Rebels v. Trump (with Michael Lewis) (Oct 4, 2026) · Listen from 53:26

Lovett argues that DOGE's email asking workers what they did last week showed an inability to solve real management problems.

“that your only solution is to ask every single person what they did last week, you're so far gone from like actually being able to solve a problem”

Pod Save America: Deep State Rebels v. Trump (with Michael Lewis) (Oct 4, 2026) · Listen from 50:57

Lewis suggests DOGE's real effect was to set up conditions for a presidential power grab rather than cut waste.

“What it really is were the preconditions for a big power grab”

Pod Save America: Deep State Rebels v. Trump (with Michael Lewis) (Oct 4, 2026) · Listen from 31:32

Lewis argues Musk's $2 trillion target was impossible because interest, defense and entitlements make up about 75% of the budget.

“So it's mathematically impossible to cut $2 trillion out of this last little slice he's attacking”

Pod Save America: Deep State Rebels v. Trump (with Michael Lewis) (Oct 4, 2026) · Listen from 32:02

Steyer dismisses promises to fund services by cutting waste, fraud and abuse, citing DOGE as a failure.

“for everybody who says they're going to fund the growth in services from waste, fraud, and abuse, we've seen that movie. It's called Doge. It failed”

Pod Save America: It's One Ballroom, Donald, How Much Could It Cost? (May 8, 2026) · Listen from 1:00:14