Over 20 Employees Resign from Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency

More than 20 civil service employees submitted their resignations on Tuesday from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, an entity closely linked with a billionaire advisor to Donald Trump. The departing staff cited their refusal to utilize their technical expertise to “dismantle essential public services.”

In a collective resignation letter obtained by The Associated Press, the 21 individuals expressed, “We have dedicated ourselves to serving the American public and honoring our constitutional commitments across different presidential administrations. Regrettably, it has become clear that we can no longer uphold those responsibilities.”

The resigning employees voiced concerns regarding the qualifications of those hired by Musk to assist in reducing the size of the federal government during Trump’s presidency, suggesting that many lacked the requisite experience for their roles.

Read More: White House Claims Musk is Part of Trump’s ‘Unified Team’ Amid Agency Challenges

This mass resignation, which includes engineers, data scientists, designers, and product managers, presents a temporary setback for Musk and his tech-driven initiative aimed at restructuring the federal workforce. It unfolds against a backdrop of legal challenges aimed at halting or reversing efforts to dismiss or pressure thousands of government employees.

In response, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt downplayed the impact of the resignations.

“Anyone who thinks that protests, lawsuits, and legal tactics will dissuade President Trump has been out of touch with reality for quite some time,” Leavitt stated. “President Trump is dedicated to fulfilling his promises to improve the efficiency and accountability of our federal government for the benefit of hardworking American taxpayers.”

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Musk took to his social media platform, X, to dismiss the reports as “fake news,” suggesting that the resigning employees were merely “Democratic holdovers” who would have been let go had they not opted to resign.

The resigning team previously worked for the United States Digital Service (USDS) but indicated that their roles were being incorporated into the new DOGE initiative. The USDS was founded during President Barack Obama’s administration in response to the troubled launch of Healthcare.gov, which millions of Americans use to enroll in health insurance plans under the Affordable Care Act.

With backgrounds at major tech companies like Google and Amazon, these employees stated in their resignation letter that their motivation for joining the government was rooted in a desire to serve the public interest.

The empowerment of Musk by Trump disrupted this dedication. The day after Trump’s inauguration, the employees recalled being called in for a series of interviews that hinted at the covert and disruptive nature of Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.

Read More: Musk Faces Backlash After Challenging Federal Workers to Justify Their Jobs

According to the resigning employees, individuals sporting White House visitor badges, some of whom chose to remain anonymous, questioned the nonpartisan staff about their qualifications and political views. Many of these interviewers appeared to have a limited grasp of technical issues, with several motivated more by ideology and admiration for Musk than by a genuine interest in improving government technology.

“Several of the interviewers declined to disclose their identities, posed questions regarding political affiliations, attempted to sow discord among colleagues, and demonstrated little technical know-how,” the staffers mentioned in their letter. “This approach posed considerable security risks.”

Earlier this month, about 40 staff members were laid off, which the resigning employees characterized as a significant blow to the government’s ability to manage and safeguard its technological infrastructure.

“These highly skilled civil servants were involved in modernizing Social Security, veterans’ services, tax filing, healthcare, disaster relief, student aid, and other essential services,” the resignation letter articulated. “Their exit jeopardizes millions of Americans who rely on these services daily. The sudden loss of their technical expertise undermines critical systems and the security of American citizens’ data.”

Roughly a third of the remaining 65 staff at USDS resigned on the same day.

Read More: A Comprehensive List of Resignations from the Trump Administration in Protest

“We refuse to apply our technological skills to undermine vital government systems, jeopardize sensitive American data, or dismantle essential public services,” they affirmed. “We will not lend our expertise to legitimize or implement the initiatives of DOGE.”

Musk’s aggressive tactics significantly diverge from the original vision Trump presented during his 2024 presidential campaign. DOGE, named after Musk’s favorite cryptocurrency meme, was initially envisioned as a high-profile commission meant to operate independently of government oversight.

However, following the election, Musk hinted at a broader agenda, posting on X, “Threat to democracy? Nope, threat to BUREAUCRACY!!!” He has since embraced this role with enthusiasm.

Last week, he appeared at the Conservative Political Action Conference outside Washington, proudly discussing his initiatives while showcasing a flashy, Chinese-manufactured chainsaw gifted to him by Argentinian President Javier Milei.

“This is the chainsaw for bureaucracy,” Musk proclaimed passionately from the stage.

Nonetheless, Musk has made attempts to retain technical talent, with most layoffs in the Digital Service office targeting positions such as designers, product managers, human resources, and contract staff, as revealed by interviews with current and former employees.

Among the 40 individuals laid off earlier this month, only one was an engineer—Jonathan Kamens, who is known for being politically active and claims he was let go for publicly supporting Vice President Kamala Harris on his blog and criticizing Musk in conversations with colleagues.

“I believe Elon Musk is acting inappropriately, and any data he accesses will likely be used for purposes that could harm Americans,” Kamens stated.

Former employees of the U.S. Digital Service, who spoke under the condition of anonymity due to fears of retribution, reflected on their initial surprise at how government operations functioned—a realization that Musk and his team are now facing. Many have since gained a deeper understanding of why certain governmental processes necessitate more careful management than those in the private sector.

“The mantra ‘Move fast and break things’ may work for a business owner who assumes the risk. However, when issues arise in government, the consequences impact individuals who never agreed to that risk,” explained Cordell Schachter, who served as the chief information officer at the U.S. Department of Transportation until last month.

Established over a decade ago, USDS aimed to improve services for veterans and created a free government-run platform to streamline tax filing, thereby reducing the reliance on third-party services like TurboTax. It also developed systems to enhance how the federal government procured technology.

The service has encountered its own bureaucratic hurdles and tensions with agency leaders who resented outside interference in their operations. USDS’s authority across the government was strengthened by its backing from the White House and its foundational mission to enhance services for the American people.

Leavitt, the White House press secretary, is among three administration officials facing a lawsuit from The Associated Press regarding concerns related to the first and fifth amendments. The AP contends that these officials are retaliating against the agency for its editorial choices, while the White House maintains that the AP is not complying with an executive order requiring the Gulf of Mexico to be referred to as the Gulf of America.

Rodrique Ngowi, a video journalist for the Associated Press, contributed to this report from Boston.