In response to Rep. Maxine Waters, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and the flurry of Democratic lawmakers touting their efforts to “fight” the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and Elon Musk, I have advice: On the topic of fraud, waste and abuse with taxpayers’ monies, study your topic before you speak.

Americans overwhelmingly support the scrutiny of government spending that DOGE makes its mission. According to the Feb. 24 Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll, “83% of voters favor reducing government expenditures over increasing taxes, and 77% say a full examination of all government expenditures is necessary.”

And the poll finds that “70% of voters,” including majorities of both parties, “say government expenditures are filled with waste, fraud and inefficiency … and 69% support the goal of cutting $1 trillion of government expenditures.”

When was the last time a majority of Democrats, Republicans and independents have agreed on anything? In addition to preserving our nation’s financial integrity for generations to come, this consensus is an exciting moment for America in the 21st century.

DOGE has already identified millions in wasteful spending and opportunities to apply greater scrutiny over government expenditures, including $4.7 trillion in payments from the Treasury Department that DOGE says lack tracking codes that would make the spending traceable.

Democratic leaders would be wise to agree that the government’s overspending is a huge problem. In fact, they should display outrage that hard-earned Americans’ taxpayer dollars could be so cavalierly frittered away.

This is a moment where Democrats could agree to find common ground with President Donald Trump, and thereby gain credibility with the American public. No one wants a living Social Security recipient to not receive their payments.

As Trump said last month, “Social Security won’t be touched, other than if there’s fraud.” Despite this, a parade of Democratic leaders have sought out every media camera in sight to declare that the Trump administration is trying to take away seniors’ Social Security.

Democrats are boxing themselves into a corner, counting on the public to support their resistance to scrutiny of government spending when polling numbers show that’s not the case. The party is ignoring the harsh realities revealed by the Harvard CAPS/Harris poll, which also placed the Democratic Party’s approval at a record low 36%. That’s a full 15 points lower than the GOP’s approval number.

As a Republican who lives in a deep blue city, I would like to see a two-party system and for my state to have a productive relationship with the federal government.

I also am boggled that as our state faces a $3 billion deficit, Democrats in the General Assembly have pursued allocating $1.5 million for our attorney general to sue the federal government. Maryland would be wise to take a DOGE-style approach to look for waste in our own state government to decrease our deficit.

But here’s the ultimate question for Democrats: What happens if there is a canceled contract or project that merits funding? What happens if there’s a credible grant recipient doing groundbreaking work, and attention needs to be brought to that issue? By crying wolf at everything, all credibility is lost.

It is always good to stand against fraud, waste and abuse. By dying on the hill of defending government waste, Democrats are losing not just respect and credibility, but their ability to effectively advocate for their constituents.

Nicolee Ambrose (@NicoleeAmbrose on X) is the Republican National Committeewoman for Maryland.