More than 20 senior technology officials have resigned from the US federal government, citing concerns over the dismantling of critical public services. The departures come amid a restructuring effort led by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, who has been tasked with streamlining government operations under President Donald Trump’s administration.
Mass Resignation Over Political and Ethical Concerns
A total of 21 civil servants, including engineers, data scientists, and designers, announced their resignation from the United States Digital Service (USDS), stating they could no longer support the restructuring of their office into the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
According to their resignation letter, obtained by the Associated Press, the employees objected to what they described as a politically motivated purge of federal agencies.
They expressed concerns that DOGE, under Musk’s leadership, was prioritising ideology over expertise, with new hires lacking the necessary technical qualifications.
“We swore to serve the American people and uphold our oath to the Constitution across presidential administrations,” the letter read. “However, it has become clear that we can no longer honour those commitments.”
The White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, dismissed the resignations, asserting that the administration remains focused on reducing bureaucracy and improving government efficiency.
“Anyone who thinks protests, lawsuits, and lawfare will deter President Trump must have been sleeping under a rock for the past several years,” she said in a statement.
Musk’s Role and the Transformation of Government Services
The resignations come as Musk plays a growing role in reshaping federal operations. Initially presented as an external advisory commission, DOGE has now taken on a more direct function in downsizing government agencies and modernising digital infrastructure.
Musk, known for his criticism of government inefficiency, has embraced his role, describing DOGE as a means to eliminate bureaucratic obstacles.
According to posts on his social media platform X, Musk has labelled concerns about his involvement as “fake news” and suggested that the resigning staffers were “Dem political holdovers” who would have been dismissed regardless.
Some former employees, however, argue that the restructuring efforts put millions of Americans at risk. Their letter specifically mentions that USDS was instrumental in modernising Social Security, veterans’ services, tax filing, healthcare, and disaster relief systems—services they believe are now in jeopardy.
Critics have also raised alarms over the methods used in the transition, with staffers alleging that new hires were questioned about their political loyalty and subjected to secretive interviews by unidentified individuals.
Jonathan Kamens, a former employee, told the AP that he believes his dismissal was politically motivated after he publicly endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris on his personal blog.
