Federal Tech Staffers Resign Rather Than Help Musk and DOGE

More than 20 employees from the civil service tendered their resignations on Tuesday from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, which is closely affiliated with billionaire Trump adviser. The staff cited their unwillingness to deploy their technical skills in efforts to “dismantle essential public services.”

In a collective resignation letter obtained by The Associated Press, the 21 employees stated, “We have committed ourselves to serve the American people and honor our constitutional oath through various presidential administrations. Unfortunately, it has become apparent that we can no longer fulfill those obligations.”

The departing employees expressed concerns that many individuals recruited by Musk to assist in downsizing the federal government during President Donald Trump’s term lacked the necessary experience and skills for the tasks assigned to them.

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

This mass resignation involving engineers, data scientists, designers, and product managers poses a temporary hurdle for Musk and the tech-oriented initiative aimed at restructuring the federal workforce. It comes amidst a wave of legal challenges aiming to halt or reverse efforts to terminate or pressure thousands of government employees.

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

“Anyone who believes that protests, lawsuits, and legal maneuvers will deter President Trump has clearly been out of touch with reality for years,” Leavitt remarked. “President Trump is committed to fulfilling his promises to enhance 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,” insinuating that the resigning employees were merely “Democratic holdovers” who would have been dismissed if they hadn’t chosen to resign.

The resigning staffers previously worked for the United States Digital Service (USDS) but indicated that their responsibilities were being absorbed into the new DOGE initiative. The USDS was established under President Barack Obama following the problematic launch of Healthcare.gov, the platform millions of Americans use to enroll in health insurance plans under the Affordable Care Act.

With backgrounds in senior roles at major tech firms like Google and Amazon, these individuals stated in their resignation letter that their motivation for joining the government stemmed from a commitment to serve the public good.

The empowerment of Musk by Trump disrupted this commitment. The day after Trump’s inauguration, the employees recounted being summoned for a series of interviews that foreshadowed 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 wearing White House visitor badges, some of whom remained anonymous, interrogated the nonpartisan staff regarding their qualifications and political affiliations. Many of these interviewers displayed a limited understanding of technical matters, and several appeared driven more by ideology and admiration for Musk than by a desire to enhance government technology.

“Several of the interviewers were unwilling to reveal their identities, posed questions about political allegiance, tried to create divisions among colleagues, and exhibited minimal technical expertise,” the staffers noted in their letter. “This approach posed significant security risks.”

Earlier this month, approximately 40 staff members were laid off, which the resigning employees described as a severe blow to the government’s capability to manage and protect its technological infrastructure.

“These highly skilled civil servants were engaged in modernizing Social Security, veterans’ services, tax filing, healthcare, disaster relief, student aid, and other vital services,” the resignation letter expressed. “Their departure jeopardizes millions of Americans who depend on these services daily. The abrupt loss of their technical expertise compromises critical systems and the security of American citizens’ data.”

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

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

“We refuse to use our technological skills to undermine essential government systems, endanger sensitive data of Americans, or dismantle crucial public services,” they asserted. “We will not lend our expertise to legitimize or implement the initiatives of DOGE.”

Musk’s aggressive approach diverges significantly from the original vision Trump outlined during his 2024 presidential campaign. DOGE, referencing Musk’s favorite cryptocurrency meme, was initially described as a high-profile commission intended to operate independently of government.

However, after 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 fervor.

Last week, he took the stage at the Conservative Political Action Conference outside Washington, where he boasted about his initiatives and brandished a flashy, Chinese-made chainsaw gifted to him by Argentinian President Javier Milei.

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

Nevertheless, Musk has attempted to retain technical talent, with most of the layoffs in the Digital Service office targeting roles such as designers, product managers, human resources, and contracting staff, as indicated by interviews with current and former employees.

Among the 40 individuals laid off earlier this month, only one was an engineer—Jonathan Kamens, an outspoken and politically engaged staff member who claims he was dismissed 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 utilized for purposes that could harm Americans,” Kamens stated.

Veterans of the U.S. Digital Service, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to concerns about retaliation, reflected on their initial shock at how government operations functioned—a realization that Musk and his team are now encountering. Many have since developed a deeper understanding of why certain governmental processes require more careful handling than those in the private sector.

“The mantra ‘Move fast and break things’ might work for a business owner who bears the risk. However, when things go wrong in government, the consequences affect people who never consented to that risk,” explained Cordell Schachter, who was the chief information officer at the U.S. Department of Transportation until last month.

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

The service has faced its share of bureaucratic challenges and conflicts with agency leaders who resented outsiders interfering with their operations. The authority of USDS across the government was bolstered by its endorsement from the White House and its foundational mission to enhance services for the American populace.

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

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