Trump wants to cut government spending. Here are Elizabeth Warren's suggestions

Sen. Elizabeth Warren agrees with President Trump that the government needs to tamp down on spending, and has made public her suggestions on where the administration should make cuts.

Warren penned an opinion piece for Fox News Monday outlining areas of "wasteful spending" she thinks should be the target of Trump's new "Department of Government Efficiency," or DOGE, led by billionaire Elon Musk.

Musk said in December he wants to cut $2 trillion in federal spending — an enormous figure around roughly a third of the government's total annual spending. (He's since reportedly backtracked on that figure.) Trump ordered the creation of DOGE as a temporary advisory group, and government watchdogs have raised concerns about how transparent the unofficial agency will be.

The Democratic senator from Massachusetts said Trump's administration should reduce spending by Department of Defense contracts. Warren cited the Pentagon's inspector general report of the department that found the Air Force accepted a 7,943% markup on soap dispensers.

"These giant contractors overcharge us on just about everything," Warren said in an interview Tuesday on WBUR's Morning Edition.

Cutting excess spending from government contracts is a plan that has bipartisan support, she said.

" It's what a lot of us would like to see done," Warren said. "And that is, make this government work more efficiently, but do it the right way."

Her comments came on the same day the White House announced in an internal memo that it will pause all federal grants and loans, beginning at 5 p.m. Tuesday, to do an ideological review of programs with federal support. It makes an exception for payouts to individuals, such as Social Security and Medicaid.

The move, which drew swift criticism, particularly from Democrats, puts a hold on trillions of dollars to initiatives that span scientific research, aid programs, educational institutions and more. Warren said the pause will create " chaos and confusion" — but will not save money for American taxpayers.

"So you're a medical researcher, you're doing work on trying to find a new treatment for cancer, part of your funding comes from the federal government: Are they really saying walk away from your lab at this point?"said Warren.

"You're running a homeless shelter," she added, "and part of your funding comes through a federal channel: Are you supposed to stop feeding people?"

As of noon Tuesday, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell said on social media her office is "exploring prompt action to stop" the federal funding pause. Her office sued the Trump administration last week over an executive order which moved to end birthright citizenship.