“Shark Tank” star Kevin O’Leary appeared to surprise a CNN panel when he called on the Department of Government Efficiency to “cut deeper and harder” on the waste, fraud, and abuse it's discovering in agencies across the federal government.
"I think the issue is they‘re not whacking enough," the investor argued in a segment discussing whether DOGE is moving too fast. "There's this concept in private equity when you get a bankrupt company and you go in there, you cut 20 percent more than your initial read, and then you find, like a pool of mercury, the organization gels back together again. Always cut deeper, harder when there‘s fat and waste. The FAA, it‘s not the people. The code is COBOL [Common Business-Oriented Language]. It‘s from the '60s. It needs CapEx put into it for the technology. We upgrade it to make it safer. Fat like a chicken. All of these agencies are like big fat chickens dripping over barbecues of fat. This is the best barbecue I‘ve ever seen, but I don‘t think it‘s happening fast enough. They‘re not cutting enough. Keep slashing. Keep hacking while you have a 24-month mandate before the midterms. Cut, cut, cut, cut, cut, cute - more, more cutting. Believe me, it‘s going to work out just great. Everybody should be happy about it."
Kevin O'Leary just had a fantastic rant calling for DOGE to fire more people.
— Thomas Hern (@ThomasMHern) February 18, 2025
"I think the issue is they're not whacking enough. You go in there and you cut 20% more than your initial read. Always cut deeper when there's fat and waste."
The CNN panel was left dumfounded. pic.twitter.com/iRQeiy2vOm
According to a new website that tracks DOGE's progress, DOGE has saved taxpayers $49.09 billion so far through 77 initiatives.