Video of Karoline Leavitt offering Americans a $4,800 subsidy because of DOGE is altered

Elon Musk has been touting the Department of Government Efficiency’s federal cuts, and President Donald Trump said he’s considering paying a “DOGE dividend” back to taxpayers with the savings.

But one social media post falsely claims DOGE cuts are already putting money in Americans’ wallets.

A Feb. 20 Facebook post shared a video of Trump Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt standing in the White House briefing room. “We are two weeks in, and President Trump is already delivering big wins for the American people. Let’s go through the facts.”

Had the video stopped there, all would be well. We found a real Feb. 3 Instagram video of Leavitt shared from the White House account in which she said the same words.

But the Facebook post quickly diverged from the real Leavitt video, and said because the Trump administration found “extra money,” Americans can get a $4,800 subsidy.

This post was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and Threads.)

(Screenshot from Facebook)

In the real video, Leavitt boasted about Trump’s actions on border security, energy and the economy.

The Facebook video, however, shows stock footage of an unspecified street protest and of Trump, while a voice that sounds like Leavitt reads a different script.

Starting with a grammatically challenged intro, the narrator said, “With ICE and DOGE have begun their process, the government has found extra funds for all Americans.”

It said everyone can apply at no cost and the $4,800 subsidy can be used with no restrictions and doesn’t need to be repaid. It said applicants must answer three questions and then they’ll receive the subsidy and a “500 benefit card” in a few days.

The Facebook post’s caption says “Learn More,” but there is no active link to click. The Facebook account, “American Help,” which is not affiliated with the federal government, lists a website that went to a dead link on Feb. 21. 

Congress hasn’t passed, nor has Trump announced, a $4,800 subsidy to Americans, a search of Google, the Nexis news database and the White House website shows.

Posts promising a government subsidy are commonplace on Facebook, but if they come from a nongovernment account, they are not legitimate. PolitiFact has debunked numerous such claims in recent years.

A federal government website said the government does not offer “free money” for people’s personal needs and offers tips on how to avoid scams. 

Leavitt did not say Trump is offering a $4,800 subsidy because of DOGE cuts. The video making that claim is altered. We rate it False.