Elon Musk isn’t letting the criticism of his Department of Government Efficiency—nicknamed DOGE—slide without a fight. Taking to his platform X (formerly Twitter), Musk posted a throwback video of President Barack Obama from 2011, pointing out that the idea behind DOGE isn’t exactly new.

The clip shows Obama launching his “Campaign to Cut Waste,” a federal initiative focused on slashing unnecessary government spending. Musk’s caption? “Sounds exactly like DOGE.”

In the video, Obama lightheartedly announces he’s putting then–Vice President Joe Biden in charge, saying, “Nobody messes with Joe.” But the message quickly turns serious as Obama outlines examples of “pointless waste and stupid spending” uncovered during the campaign’s early days.

Among the highlights: government funding for a website dedicated to a folk music group called the Fiddlin’ Foresters—a band made up of U.S. Forest Service employees.

“Sure, some of these cuts aren’t that big,” Obama said. “But no amount of waste is acceptable—not when it’s your money. Just as families live within their means, government should too.”

He even joked that while he might enjoy the group’s music, he wasn’t about to keep paying for their website with taxpayer dollars.

Obama also pointed to massive government-owned buildings sitting empty, like a warehouse in Brooklyn that had been unused for a decade. He blamed red tape and “Washington politics” for holding up sales of these properties but promised the administration was working to fix it.

“We need to go after every dime,” Obama said. “We need to make government work for you.”

Then came Biden’s part. He emphasized transparency, accountability, and a “relentless focus” on cutting waste. The ultimate goal? To build a culture across federal agencies that values efficiency—not just during their term, but for future administrations too.

“We’re not just eliminating fraud and waste,” Biden said. “We hope to be instilling an entirely new culture.”

The video originally aired during Obama’s lead-up to his 2012 re-election campaign. By resurfacing it, Musk seemed to suggest that DOGE is less of a radical idea and more of a long-overdue reboot of a bipartisan concept.

Of course, not everyone was convinced. Some commenters under Musk’s post pointed out that Obama’s campaign had a limited effect on actual federal spending—and warned that DOGE could face the same fate if real structural changes aren’t made.

Still, Musk’s post drew attention to a clear point: waste-cutting initiatives aren’t new—but maybe, just maybe, it’s time they actually stick.