To give $5,000 stimulus checks to citizens, DOGE must first meet its $2 trillion savings goal, which would make the idea affordable. In a January interview with political strategist Mark Penn, Musk said DOGE had a better chance of cutting $1 trillion instead.

It was already ridiculous enough when Elon Musk claimed to be considering stimulus checks funded by DOGE’s nonexistent savings. Now, the checks proposer has clarified that if they do go out, low-income Americans won’t get them,