More than 20 Department of Government Efficiency staffers resigned Tuesday in a scathing letter that blasted how Elon Musk was running the operation.
The group of 21 said they refused to use their technical expertise to “dismantle critical public services” in a joint resignation letter obtained by the Associated Press.
“We swore to serve the American people and uphold our oath to the Constitution across presidential administrations,” they wrote. “However, it has become clear that we can no longer honor those commitments.”
The group, credited with being behind the firings of tens of thousands of federal employees, has largely worked in the shadows but enjoyed the full support of President Donald Trump. It is unknown how many staffers are in DOGE, but those identified as new to the department—previously called the United States Digital Service—have skewed young and inexperienced for such critical government work.
Those who quit Tuesday were civil service employees who had been a part of the digital service prior to the Musk’s takeover, the AP reported. Among those leaving are engineers, data scientists, and product managers.
Those departing said they left careers at Google and Amazon “out of a sense of duty to public service,” the AP added.
Still at DOGE, it appears, are Musk’s political ideologues who joined with the intent of dismantling long-standing federal programs in the name of “efficiency.”
The resigning group said their previous work in the government was being actively undone by Musk’s new order.
“These highly skilled civil servants were working to modernize Social Security, veterans’ services, tax filing, health care, disaster relief, student aid, and other critical services,” the resignation letter states. “Their removal endangers millions of Americans who rely on these services every day. The sudden loss of their technology expertise makes critical systems and American’s data less safe.”
Musk did not immediately address the mass departure on X.
DOGE has faced increased scrutiny since its much-anticipated “wall of receipts” was rolled out last week with eye-popping flaws. Its largest chunk of savings, for example, was a DEI-related contract worth “$8 billion” it claims to have canceled. The figure turned out to be a typo, however, and the contract was really worth $8 million—$7.92 billion less.
There has also been outcry from fired workers who claim they were handed a pink slip over “performance” issues despite having good reviews from managers. In some cases, DOGE has had to backtrack on terminations after it got rid of staffers who are integral to key government functions—like at the country’s top nuclear agency, which was already understaffed.
DOGE’s opposition is not just in the court of public opinion. Its actions are being opposed in federal courts, with organizations claiming Musk and his minions do not have the authority to ax federal workers by the thousands or cut off funds appropriated by Congress.
A Monday update to DOGE’s website claimed it has cut $65 billion in federal spending so far, despite its own “receipts” not coming close to that figure.
