One-third of Elon Musk’s DOGE staff resign during controversy over government changes

• One-third of staff at DOGE resigned in protest, citing concerns over threats to public services and data security
• Resigning staff warn that mass terminations will put Americans' sensitive data at risk
• Reports indicate that DOGE engineers are developing software to facilitate large-scale firings of federal employees, bypassing civil service protections

A significant shake-up has hit the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a newly rebranded federal agency under Elon Musk’s influence. 

About one-third of its workforce has resigned in protest, citing concerns that the department’s radical overhaul could put essential government services, and American citizens, at risk.

In a strongly worded letter addressed to White House Chief of Staff Susan Wiles, 21 former DOGE employees declared their refusal to continue working under conditions that they believe undermine their oath to serve the American people.

From digital reform to political upheaval

Originally established as the United States Digital Service (USDS) in 2014 to modernise government technology, the agency underwent a drastic transformation after President Donald Trump returned to office on January 20. 

The department was rebranded as DOGE, with Musk assuming an influential, though unofficial, leadership role.

While Musk holds no formal government position, his status as a “special government employee” and senior adviser to Trump gives him considerable sway. 

He is set to attend Trump’s first cabinet meeting on Wednesday, February 26, further cementing his role in shaping federal operations.

Musk dismissed the resignations as insignificant, labelling the former employees as “political holdovers” who resisted the administration’s return-to-office mandate. 

“They would have been fired had they not resigned,” Musk wrote on X, the social media platform he owns.

A rocky transition and growing concerns

The resigning staff members detailed a chaotic transition process that began on January 21, the day after Trump’s inauguration. 

They reported being subjected to abrupt interviews by unidentified individuals with White House visitor badges, interviewers who, they claimed, lacked technical expertise and seemed more focused on political loyalty than job performance.

Tensions escalated on February 14 when about a third of the agency’s workforce was suddenly dismissed via anonymous emails. 

Many of those terminated had been working on critical public services, including Social Security, veterans' affairs, tax filing systems, healthcare, and disaster response platforms.

In their letter, the departing employees warned that these mass firings could severely disrupt essential services and expose Americans’ sensitive data to security risks. 

They refused to take part in what they described as an attempt to compromise government systems and dismantle key public services.

Musk’s plan to reshape the federal workforce

The resignations come amid broader efforts by Musk and DOGE to reshape federal employment. In recent weeks, a controversial mass email was sent to all federal workers, requiring them to justify their roles or risk termination. 

While many agencies advised their employees to ignore the message, its intent was clear: a sweeping crackdown on the federal workforce.

Reports from Wired suggest that DOGE engineers are developing software designed to expedite large-scale layoffs across federal agencies. 

So far, thousands of employees, particularly those in probationary periods, have already been dismissed since Trump’s inauguration.

The new software, once operational, could make it easier to sidestep civil service protections and conduct mass firings at an unprecedented scale.

Elon Musk’s X names most harmful social media platform in Nigeria

Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that a new report ranked X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk, as the leading source of online harm in Nigeria. 

According to the report, 34% of users on the platform experienced issues such as cyberbullying, misinformation, and harassment.