WASHINGTON – Over 20 civil servants have resigned from the Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk, citing their unwillingness to use their skills to “dismantle important public services.”
The group of 21 employees expressed in a resignation letter that their commitment to serving the American public and upholding constitutional duties had become untenable.
They claimed Musk’s appointments to streamline the federal workforce under President Trump’s regime were ideologically motivated rather than based on expertise or experience.
This joint resignation, consisting of engineers, data scientists, designers, and product managers, poses a hurdle for the techno-centric federal workforce reduction plans spearheaded by Musk and Trump’s administration.
The resignation comes amidst several litigations intended to obstruct their initiatives of terminating or coercing federal employees out of their positions.
The White House’s press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, downplayed the impact of this mass resignation.
“Protests or legal antics won’t deter President Trump from making the federal government more effective and transparent for American taxpayers,” Leavitt declared.
Musk, on his social media platform X, discredited the story as “fake news,” suggesting the staffers were politically biased and would have been dismissed if they hadn’t resigned.
Formerly part of the United States Digital Service (USDS), the employees indicated that their roles were being swallowed by DOGE. Founded under President Obama after the problematic Healthcare.gov launch, USDS aimed to enhance public service.
Initially holding high-ranking positions in well-known tech firms, the resigning staff expressed joining government service out of public duty.
They detailed how post-inauguration, they faced interviews signaled to align with the clandestine and disruptive operations of Musk’s DOGE.
Allegedly interviewed by individuals with apparent limited technical acumen, these interactions heightened security concerns.
Earlier layoffs had already struck a blow to technological capabilities in government services, jeopardizing essential functions like Social Security and disaster relief.
“We refuse to jeopardize core systems or compromise American data with our technological skills,” the resigning staff resolved, opposing DOGE’s pursuits.
Initially, Trump’s campaign suggested DOGE would operate independently of the government, inspired by Musk’s meme coin fascination, but post-election, Musk amplified his influence over bureaucracy restructuring.
Recently addressing a conservative political assembly, Musk paraded a chainsaw symbolizing bureaucracy’s destruction—a sentiment not entirely reflective of DOGE’s described mission.
While aiming to retain tech experts, the layoffs primarily affected positions deemed ancillary, leaving crucial engineering roles largely intact.
Amongst those dismissed was Jonathan Kamens, a politically vocal engineer who alleged his termination was partly due to his political stances and criticisms against Musk.
Former USDS members highlighted the mismatch between corporate and governmental approaches—where rapid disruptions can adversely impact public services.
Established to stem from a more pragmatic perspective in public service, USDS endeavored towards technological enhancements like tax-filing systems—though often encountering bureaucratic resistance.
The White House, embroiled in a legal clash with the Associated Press over editorial disagreements, maintains firm stances on its directives, asserting AP’s non-compliance in terminology usage regarding the Gulf of Mexico.
Tech Employees Quit Over Musk and DOGE Collaboration
