Elon Musk's surprise appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) ignited discussions about the Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) spending cuts and their potential impact. Speaking at the Maryland event, Musk, sporting a MAGA hat and sunglasses, emphasized the necessity of these cuts to safeguard programs like Medicare and Social Security. He framed the issue as a matter of fiscal responsibility, comparing national spending to personal finances and warning of the dangers of overspending.

Musk's remarks resonated with attendees like Matthew Kochman, a New York real estate broker, who credited the DOGE cuts with averting a financial crisis. However, the proposal to allocate 20% of the saved funds towards stimulus checks for taxpayers sparked debate. Some attendees, like Angie Carrai from Virginia, prioritized using the funds to address the national debt, expressing concern over its potential impact. Carrai also echoed Musk's sentiment about wasteful spending on government programs. Others, like Kochman, supported the idea of returning some money to taxpayers while also contributing to debt reduction.

Speaker Mike Johnson expressed reservations about the stimulus proposal, advocating for prioritizing debt reduction with the targeted $2 trillion in savings from DOGE. Pat Dennis, president of the American Bridge 21st Century, voiced concerns about potential cuts to essential programs like Medicaid, challenging the narrative that these programs are riddled with fraud and can be significantly reduced. The DOGE's recent focus on spending cuts within USAID and other agencies has drawn attention, highlighting the ongoing debate surrounding government spending and its impact on various programs and services.