Over 20 staff members from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) resigned on Tuesday, Feb. 25, expressing their refusal to back leader Elon Musk’s technological transformation of federal services.
The resigning individuals, many of whom were formerly employed by major tech firms like Google and Amazon, constituted about one-third of the U.S. Digital Service. This office was renamed DOGE by Musk after President Donald Trump took office. Musk had already let go of roughly 40 digital service personnel upon taking control of the department.
The remaining team members voiced their apprehensions through *WeTheBuilders*, a newly formed collective and website created by both current and past federal employees. This group stands against Trump’s federal efficiency strategies and shares insider perspectives on DOGE’s changes. They describe themselves as “The official resistance team of the U.S. Digital Service.”
In a collective resignation letter directed to Trump’s chief of staff, the former employees expressed, *”We pledged to serve the American people and uphold our oath to the Constitution across presidential terms. However, it has become evident that we can no longer fulfill those commitments… We refuse to use our abilities as technologists to undermine essential government systems, jeopardize Americans’ sensitive data, or dismantle vital public services. We will not offer our expertise to execute or legitimize DOGE’s operations.”* The letter, acquired by the Associated Press, highlighted that DOGE’s actions are at odds with the original purpose of the U.S. Digital Service, which aims to enhance government services through technology and design.
Concerns regarding DOGE’s activities had been escalating for weeks. Employees reported that in January, unknown visitors accessed the Digital Services offices, questioning staff about their political beliefs and technical skills while alluding to Musk’s intended overhaul. Staff members characterized these occurrences as significant violations of security protocol. In their resignation letter, they further condemned DOGE’s methods, stating, *”Terminating technical experts, mishandling sensitive data, and disrupting core systems contradict their proclaimed mission of ‘modernizing federal technology and software to optimize governmental efficiency and productivity.’”*
Musk recently sent a mass email to federal staff, mandating them to provide a detailed account of their weekly work or face dismissal. However, the Office of Personnel Management clarified that responding to Musk’s demand was *”voluntary.”*
The White House promptly dismissed the resignations and the criticisms from the former employees. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt remarked, *”Anyone who believes protests, lawsuits, and legal battles will dissuade President Trump must have been living under a rock for the past several years. President Trump will not be swayed from fulfilling the promises he made to enhance the efficiency and accountability of our federal government to the diligent American taxpayers.”*