One-Third of Elon Musk’s DOGE Team Resigns in Protest

A significant portion of staff at Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have resigned in protest, citing their refusal to implement changes they believe would endanger the nation.

In a letter addressed to White House Chief of Staff Susan Wiles, 21 DOGE staff members stated that their commitment to serving the American people and upholding the Constitution had been compromised, leaving them unable to fulfill their responsibilities.

These employees, originally part of the United States Digital Service (USDS), had worked on critical government projects until the department was restructured under President Donald Trump’s administration in January, with Musk taking on a prominent role in its direction.

Although Musk is not the official administrator of DOGE, he plays a central role in guiding its operations and has been a driving force behind efforts to cut federal staffing and spending.

Despite lacking formal decision-making authority, Musk’s position as a “special government employee” and “senior adviser to the president” grants him significant influence. He downplayed the resignations, claiming the departing workers were political holdovers who refused to comply with return-to-office orders and labeling them as unfit for their roles.

The resigning staff described a chaotic transition process beginning in January, with interviews conducted by individuals lacking technical expertise. Tensions escalated when a third of the USDS staff were abruptly terminated via an anonymous email on February 14.

Many of the dismissed employees were working on essential government services, including Social Security, veterans’ services, tax filing, healthcare, and disaster relief. In their letter, the employees warned that losing these experts could jeopardize critical systems and expose American data to risks.

The USDS was established in 2014 under the Obama administration to enhance government digital services. However, under Musk’s influence, the department has shifted its focus toward reducing government staffing.

Reports indicate that its engineers are now developing software to streamline the firing of federal employees, particularly those with stronger civil service protections.

These developments follow an earlier email sent to two million federal workers, demanding they justify their roles or face termination. Many government departments have since advised their staff to ignore the DOGE-inspired email.