‘You Look Enraged’: Scott Jennings Spars With Former Fox Host Over DOGE’s Accomplishments

CNN Senior Political Commentator Scott Jennings clashed with former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson Wednesday in a debate over the efficacy of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and whether it is delivering for the American people.

DOGE, which is led by White House senior adviser Elon Musk, has identified $160 billion in “estimated” savings since President Donald Trump established it when he took office for his second term Jan. 20, an average of $993.79 per taxpayer, according to the organization’s website. Jennings pointed to a conversation he had with an unnamed cabinet secretary, who lauded DOGE’s ability to clear a “massive backlog” left by the Biden administration.

“But, you know, he said, ‘The most interesting thing that these guys have been able to do for us is we inherited a massive backlog, a backlog of things that the previous administration left us, and we were unable to really deal with it because of IT issues,’” Jennings said. “And he said, ‘These guys showed up over here and they made a huge impact on our IT infrastructure, which then allowed us to clear out a backlog of outstanding issues that we were just having trouble getting to.’”

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“So, wait, this is now an IT issue? No, wait, wait, wait a minute,” Carlson said before Jennings added, “I mean, so, actually, it’s a constituent service.”

Jennings and Carlson went back and forth over DOGE, whose actions to eliminate waste and fraud while reducing the size and scope of the federal government have been challenged in court, with a federal judge recently blocking the agency from reviewing Social Security data to uncover fraud. Other courts have allowed DOGE to carry out its efforts.

“I’m not angry. I’m frustrated,” Carlson said after claiming that the biggest accomplishment of DOGE was resolving IT issues, with Jennings responding, “I mean, you look enraged. I don’t understand.”

“I’m frustrated like most Americans, because we want to know where the cuts are,” Carlson shot back, with “CNN NewsNight” host Abby Phillip cutting in, saying, “Gretchen, Gretchen, let me just — let me just hit pause here. I mean, look, people get worked up at this table, yourself included, all the time.”

DOGE lists the savings it has identified on its website, breaking it down into contracts, leases and grants. It also breaks down spending, while providing information on the federal workforce and government regulations.

Musk revised DOGE’s savings forecast in April for fiscal year 2026 to $150 billion, an 85% drop from what was initially predicted.