The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has announced the recovery of $1.9 billion in funds that were previously misplaced. HUD Secretary Scott Turner confirmed that the recovery was achieved through a collaboration with the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Task Force, which worked to de-obligate the funds and return them to the U.S. Treasury.
The DOGE Task Force at HUD was launched on February 13 to scrutinize how taxpayer dollars are being spent by the department. Since its inception, an additional $260 million in savings has been identified.
In response to this development, several media personalities have commented on their respective platforms:
Laura Ingraham questioned, "If they’re capable of losing almost $2 billion dollars, and this is just the first three weeks or so, what comes next?"
Maria Bartiromo remarked on "the latest incredible amount missing," emphasizing concerns over wasteful spending.
Kat Timpf expressed skepticism about government accountability: "The fact that…misplaced funds, $1.9 BILLION, what would happen if I, let’s say, misplaced a tax document? I’d be in very big trouble."
Charlie Hurt highlighted potential political implications: "The amazing thing about this is... it’s all wasteful government spending and probably corruption."
Jesse Watters posed a rhetorical question about accountability within HUD: "How do you tell your boss that? ‘Mr. Secretary, you know that $2 billion dollars? Can’t seem to find it.’"
Dagan McDowell compared the situation to finding loose change: "That’s not loose change. You don’t find that in sofa cushions."
Rep. Tim Burchett praised current efforts while criticizing past oversight: "We have a very dynamic director of HUD now...I think you’re going to see these so-called accounting errors throughout the government because there has been no oversight whatsoever."
Deroy Murdock commended ongoing efforts for transparency: “I’m really glad these people are doing this. It’s just starting, and it needs to continue.”
Danamarie McNicholl noted broader issues of fraud within government agencies: “This comes amid broader concerns about fraud with the U.S. Government Accountability Office estimating the U.S. loses up to $500 billion annually to fraud.”
Ed Henry clarified where recovered funds came from: “Not one dollar was taken away from housing or veterans benefits or healthcare.”
Secretary Turner reiterated his commitment in a video posted online: “‘We will be very detailed and deliberate about every dollar spent in serving tribal, rural, and urban communities across America,’” adding that further savings had already been identified.
