Mass Resignation Stuns Trump, Musk: DOGE Employees Take a Stand
We Won’t Betray Our Oath,” Say 21 Officials Who Quit En Masse
A wave of shock hit the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) yesterday as 21 employees – engineers, data scientists, and product managers – resigned in protest. Their reason? They refused to be part of the mass layoff process targeting civil service employees.
These professionals, who joined the department with the hope of improving governance through technology, took a firm stand against what they saw as a political agenda overriding public service values. In a joint resignation letter, they made it clear: “We pledged to serve the American people and uphold constitutional values. We cannot betray that oath by assisting in job cuts that dismantle public service.”
The DOGE, created under Elon Musk’s leadership as part of President Donald Trump’s effort to shrink the federal government, has faced growing criticism. Employees accused it of being driven by political motives rather than efficiency, claiming that those in charge lacked the expertise to make meaningful reforms.
Trump acknowledged the resignations as a setback for Musk, whose department has already canceled 1,125 government contracts—though nearly 40% of those cuts have been deemed unnecessary.
For these 21 employees, however, the choice was clear: walk away with integrity rather than stay and compromise their values.
