Officials from the Trump administration have vowed to recover tax funds misappropriated by Democratic-led states, following the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) discovery of nearly $400 million in fraudulent unemployment claims collected by these states. Statements from representatives of the Department of Labor (DOL) and the White House were notably impactful, serving as a warning to the three states governed by Democrats.
The Department of Government Oversight (DOGE) was created in response to one of President Trump’s initial executive orders, tasked with combating fraud, waste, and corruption within the federal government. Within a few months, under the leadership of the innovative Elon Musk, the agency has uncovered significant fraud operations and has saved taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars.
During a cabinet meeting on April 14, 2025, Labor Department Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer highlighted the extent of the corruption, stating, ‘The DOGE team has made another remarkable finding, uncovering nearly $400 million in fraudulent unemployment payments. The Labor Department is dedicated to reclaiming the tax dollars that have been stolen from Americans. We will apprehend these criminals and continue our efforts to eliminate such blatant fraud.’
Upon examining the particulars, Lori Chavez-DeRemer elaborated on the intricacies of this fraudulent activity. She stated, ‘According to the figures we reviewed last night, which were again revealed by our partners at DOGE within the Department of Labor, more than $400 million in payments have been disbursed since 2020.’ She further noted, ‘When considering these figures, it is noteworthy that in the United States, there are nearly 25,000 individuals aged over 115 years who are receiving a total of $59 million that we have distributed, highlighting the issue of fraudulent conduct.’
Citing a particular instance to support her claim, the Secretary of the Labor Department stated, “In one scenario, individuals will be born 129 years from now, and the United States government has allocated $41,000 to them, even before their birth. Therefore, under the auspices of the Department of Labor, we are revealing such matters. I am profoundly honored to inform the American public that we are reclaiming their funds, preserving them, and returning them to the United States Treasury.”
Providing an alternative viewpoint on the controversy, White House spokesperson Harrison Fields criticized these heavily Democratic states. He stated, “The mass departure from states governed by Democrats, which have poorly managed their economies and pushed residents towards Republican-led states, is not without reason,” further asserting, “Excessive taxation, inadequate management of taxpayer funds, and progressive policies consistently produce adverse outcomes, which is why a significant majority of Americans endorse the efforts of DOGE.”
Initiating the debate, DOGE disclosed their findings on X, previously known as Twitter. The department stated, “An initial analysis of Unemployment Insurance claims since 2020 has revealed the following: – 24,500 individuals over 115 years old claimed $59 million in benefits – 28,000 individuals aged between 1 and 5 years claimed $254 million in benefits – 9,700 individuals with birth dates set more than 15 years into the future claimed $69 million in benefits. In one instance, an individual with a birth date in 2154 claimed $41,000.”
Elon Musk, expressing his outrage and disdain towards the fraudsters involved in this corruption, quote-tweeted the post, stating, ‘Your tax dollars were allocated to cover fraudulent unemployment claims for fictitious individuals created in the future! This is so absurd that I had to read it multiple times for it to fully register.’
