Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, who is leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under the Donald Trump administration and undertaking high-intensity federal government restructuring, has faced opposition both inside and outside the organization. Not only have many internal employees resigned, but criticism has also emerged from within the Republican Party.
On the 25th (local time), the Associated Press (AP) reported that 21 government efficiency department officials, including engineers, data scientists, and project managers, have resigned.
According to a joint resignation letter obtained by AP, they stated, "As technologists, we will not use technology to damage core government systems, put sensitive data of Americans at risk, or dismantle critical public services," and "We will not provide expertise to carry out or justify the actions of the Department of Government Efficiency."
They warned that many of the individuals Musk CEO brought in for government restructuring under the Trump administration are political ideologues without relevant technical skills or experience. They added, "We swore to serve the American people and uphold the Constitution across the administration. However, it has become clear that we can no longer keep that promise."
The group of resigning employees were staff members of the U.S. Digital Service, an e-government promotion agency established during former President Barack Obama's administration, and included former senior executives from big tech companies such as Google and Amazon. Although the federal government employee union, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), has previously filed lawsuits against Musk CEO-led federal budget cuts and downsizing efforts, this is the first time there has been collective opposition from within the Department of Government Efficiency.
According to them, the day after President Trump's inauguration, individuals wearing White House visitor badges conducted interviews regarding qualifications and political loyalty, which caused significant security risks. They also pointed out that the interviewers lacked technical competence.
Following the interviews, 40 Digital Service employees were dismissed, and the remaining 65 were integrated into the Department of Government Efficiency. They claimed this caused disruptions in their work.
Even within the Republican Party, which has been reluctant to criticize the Trump administration and Trump’s close aides, doubts about Musk CEO’s Department of Government Efficiency have recently been publicly raised. This follows Musk CEO’s recent email threatening federal employees with dismissal if they do not report five work performance metrics.
Representative Rich McCormick (Georgia) told The Washington Post (WP) that he plans to urge President Trump to foster more effective cooperation between the administration and the legislature and to show compassion for federal employees whose lives have been upended. Senator Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) called Musk CEO’s recent email to federal employees "absurd." Representative Jefferson Van Drew (New Jersey) said, "What concerns me is that we need to use a surgical scalpel, not a sledgehammer," adding, "We must be careful not to harm ordinary people."
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