More than 20 employees from the civil service submitted their resignations on Tuesday from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, which is closely tied to a billionaire known for advising Trump. The resigning staff expressed their reluctance to use their technical expertise to “dismantle vital public services.”
A collective resignation letter, obtained by The Associated Press, revealed that the 21 employees stated, “We have dedicated ourselves to serving the American people and upholding our constitutional duties through various presidential administrations. Unfortunately, we can no longer meet those commitments.”
The departing employees voiced concerns over the qualifications of many individuals recruited by Musk to assist in reducing the size of the federal government during President Donald Trump’s administration, suggesting they lacked the essential skills for their assigned roles.
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This wave of resignations, which includes engineers, data scientists, designers, and product managers, presents a temporary challenge for Musk and the tech-driven initiative focused on overhauling the federal workforce. This comes at a time when multiple legal challenges are emerging to halt or reverse attempts to dismiss or pressure thousands of government employees.
In response, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt downplayed the impact of the resignations.
“Anyone who thinks that protests, lawsuits, and legal strategies will dissuade President Trump has clearly been out of touch with reality for years,” Leavitt commented. “President Trump remains dedicated to keeping his promises to improve efficiency and accountability within our federal government for the benefit of hardworking American taxpayers.”
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Musk took to his social media platform, X, to label the reports as “fake news,” implying that the resigning employees were simply “Democratic holdovers” who would have faced termination had they not chosen to resign.
The resigning individuals had previously been part of the United States Digital Service (USDS) but indicated that their roles were being absorbed into the new DOGE initiative. The USDS was created under President Barack Obama in response to the problematic launch of Healthcare.gov, which millions of Americans use to enroll in health insurance through the Affordable Care Act.
With experience in senior positions at major tech companies like Google and Amazon, these employees noted in their resignation letter that their initial motivation for joining the government was a genuine desire to serve the public good.
However, Musk’s empowerment by Trump disrupted this commitment. The day after Trump’s inauguration, they recounted being called in for a series of interviews that hinted at the secretive and disruptive nature of Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.
Read More: Musk Faces Criticism After Challenging Federal Workers to Justify Their Jobs
According to the resigning staff, individuals wearing White House visitor badges—some of whom remained unnamed—questioned the nonpartisan employees about their qualifications and political beliefs. Many of these interviewers showed limited technical knowledge and seemed more motivated by ideology and admiration for Musk than by a desire to improve governmental technology.
“Some of the interviewers refused to disclose their identities, asked about political loyalty, attempted to sow discord among colleagues, and exhibited a lack of technical proficiency,” the staffers stated in their letter. “This tactic posed significant security threats.”
Earlier this month, around 40 staff members were let go, which the resigning employees described as a serious blow to the government’s ability to manage and secure its technological infrastructure.
“These talented civil servants were involved in modernizing crucial services such as Social Security, veterans’ affairs, tax filing, healthcare, disaster relief, student assistance, and more,” the resignation letter stated. “Their exit endangers millions of Americans who rely on these services daily. The sudden loss of their expertise jeopardizes essential systems and the security of American citizens’ data.”
Nearly one-third of the remaining 65 staff members at USDS also resigned on the same day.
Read More: A Complete List of Resignations from the Trump Administration in Protest
“We refuse to use our technical skills to undermine critical government systems, jeopardize the sensitive data of Americans, or dismantle essential public services,” they declared. “We will not contribute our expertise to legitimize or support the initiatives of DOGE.”
Musk’s aggressive tactics differ sharply from the initial vision Trump outlined during his 2024 presidential campaign. DOGE, named after Musk’s favored cryptocurrency meme, was originally presented as a high-profile commission intended to operate independently from the government.
However, post-election, Musk hinted at a wider agenda, posting on X, “Threat to democracy? Nope, threat to BUREAUCRACY!!!” He has since embraced this role with enthusiasm.
Last week, he appeared at the Conservative Political Action Conference outside Washington, where he proudly discussed his initiatives while showcasing a flashy, Chinese-made chainsaw gifted by Argentinian President Javier Milei.
“This is the chainsaw for bureaucracy,” Musk passionately stated from the podium.
Nonetheless, Musk has made efforts to retain technical talent, with most of the recent layoffs in the Digital Service office affecting roles such as designers, product managers, human resources, and contract staff, as revealed by interviews with current and former employees.
Among the 40 individuals laid off earlier this month, only one was an engineer—Jonathan Kamens, a vocal and politically active employee who claims he was terminated for openly supporting Vice President Kamala Harris on his blog and criticizing Musk in discussions with colleagues.
“I believe Elon Musk is acting inappropriately, and any data he accesses will likely be used in ways that could be detrimental to Americans,” Kamens stated.
Veterans of the U.S. Digital Service, who spoke anonymously due to fears of retaliation, reflected on their initial shock at the way government operations functioned—a realization that Musk and his team are now facing. Many have since gained a greater appreciation for 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 fallout impacts people who never consented to that risk,” explained Cordell Schachter, who served as the chief information officer at the U.S. Department of Transportation until last month.
Established over a decade ago, the USDS aimed to enhance services for veterans and created a government-operated platform to streamline tax filing, thus eliminating the need for third-party services like TurboTax. It also developed systems to improve how the federal government procured technology.
The service has encountered its share of bureaucratic hurdles and conflicts with agency leaders who resented outside interference in their operations. The authority of USDS across the government was strengthened by its endorsement from the White House and its foundational mission to enhance services for the American public.
Leavitt, the White House press secretary, is among three administration officials facing a lawsuit from The Associated Press regarding first- and fifth-amendment issues. The AP claims these officials are responding to the agency’s editorial decisions with retaliation, while the White House argues that the AP is not complying with an executive order that requires referring to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.
Rodrique Ngowi, a video journalist for the Associated Press, contributed to this report from Boston.
