President Donald Trump acknowledged Tuesday that some of the spending cuts implemented by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) may need to be reversed, even as he defended the agency’s overall impact, touting it as one of the most successful cost-saving initiatives in American history.

In a wide-ranging interview with ABC News, Trump responded to questions about concerns raised over recent DOGE cuts, particularly those that impacted foreign aid and health research. The president emphasized that the program has resulted in hundreds of billions of dollars in savings, even while conceding that a few of the cuts may have gone too far and are now under review.

“DOGE has been — look, they saved $150 billion, we saved,” Trump said. “That’s a lot of money. There are also a lot of things, right now, under investigation, which is going to increase that amount by a lot.”

The president said he had already restored some funding to programs that were mistakenly cut. “There were some things where, when I heard about them, I put them back,” Trump told interviewer Terry Moran. “There are things that I’m considering, right now, putting back. But overall, we’ve saved hundreds of billions of dollars.”

The cuts in question have drawn criticism from both domestic and international groups. Several watchdog organizations and members of Congress have expressed concern that DOGE’s swift slashing of federal programs, while effective in reducing spending, may have unintentionally harmed critical research and humanitarian assistance efforts.

Foreign aid programs designed to support public health infrastructure and food security in developing nations were among those impacted by DOGE’s budget scalpel. Medical professionals and researchers also raised alarms earlier this month when the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced it would temporarily pause funding for some long-term studies on Alzheimer’s and pediatric cancer due to shortfalls stemming from the restructuring.

Moran pressed Trump during the interview on whether the agency had acted too recklessly in its drive to rein in spending. The president dismissed that characterization and reiterated his commitment to balancing fiscal responsibility with strategic investment.

“No, I don’t think they went too far,” Trump said. “I think we found a lot of waste. We found programs that nobody could explain. They were just there because they’ve always been there. That’s not a good enough reason.”

He added that restoring certain programs does not mean abandoning the broader mission of DOGE. “You can save money and still be smart. We’re doing both,” he said.

Trump also took the opportunity to credit Elon Musk, DOGE’s current director, for his aggressive approach to eliminating redundancy across federal departments. “He’s done a great job,” Trump said. “Nobody thought we could cut that kind of money in that amount of time.”

As of April, DOGE has reportedly eliminated over 500 federally funded programs and projects, consolidated dozens of administrative offices, and slashed the federal consulting budget by nearly 80 percent. Internal estimates from the White House peg total savings at just over $230 billion since January.

Still, bipartisan calls for increased transparency around DOGE’s decision-making have grown louder in recent weeks. A group of House Democrats led by Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) introduced a bill last week demanding a formal review process for all future DOGE cuts, arguing that vital programs should not be eliminated without independent analysis and congressional input.

For now, Trump appears willing to make adjustments. “We’re not afraid to admit when something doesn’t work,” he said. “But overall, this has been a huge win for taxpayers.”

The president did not specify which programs are currently under reconsideration, but sources within the administration suggest education grants and health research initiatives are being evaluated for partial restoration. An official announcement is expected ahead of the president’s 100-day rally in Michigan.