‘Well, Then, How Do You Do It?’: Greg Gutfeld, Democratic Strategist Clash Over DOGE’s Execution

Fox News’ Greg Gutfeld and Democratic Party strategist Jessica Tarlov clashed Monday on “The Five” over the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and Elon Musk’s role in cutting wasteful government spending.

Criticism against DOGE and Musk ramped up in February after the announcement of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) being upended, sparking backlash from Democrats over the Trump administration’s use of DOGE to downsize government agencies. After clips aired of former President Barack Obama advocating for government cuts, Gutfeld pressed Tarlov on the issue, prompting her to insist that Democrats don’t “like waste, fraud, and abuse either.”

“Just go through Congress. Work together to do that. You have Democrats on the first day they announced DOGE said, ‘Sign me up. I’m happy to do this.’ It is widely popular as an idea. In execution, though, it’s a massive bomb,” Tarlov said.

“That’s what you said,” Gutfeld said. “Everything you agree with, except ‘You’re not doing it the right way.’”

Various agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Education, and USAID, have made staff cuts since February. However, confusion erupted within the Trump administration after DOGE sent an email to federal employees on Feb. 22, requiring them to submit five bullet points detailing their accomplishments from the previous week.

Trump later said