In President Donald Trump’s second week in office, Elon Musk’s newly formed team, the Department of Government Efficiency, managed to insert itself in at least 14 federal agencies and departments.
DOGE staffers, many of whom have been subject to controversy due to their lack of experience or proximity to Musk’s other businesses, have been reportedly seen working in the Department of Energy, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Center for Disease Control, the FBI and more within the last week.
That is in addition to Musk targeting the workforce in the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Department of Education, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Democrats have pushed back on the drastic changes while state attorneys, federal worker unions, advocacy organizations and others have filed lawsuits trying to stop Musk and his team from quickly dismantling many decades-old established agencies and departments.
But with Trump’s unwavering support, it’s unclear how successful others will be in trying to stop Musk from overhauling the federal workforce and government in the name of cutting costs and replacing civil servants with Trump loyalists.
Musk, a billionaire tech entrepreneur, appears to have vast authority as a “special government employee” with few limitations and little oversight.
In a matter of one day, Musk managed to place thousands of USAID employees on administrative leave while attempting to merge the humanitarian aid agency with the State Department. He alleged the agency was rampant with improper spending despite reports saying the contrary.
A federal judge intervened on Friday, forcing Musk to reinstate them temporarily.
This past week, Musk’s team of young aides – some of whom are recent high school graduates – gained access to Treasury Department payment and data systems, raising alarm bells with Democrats who held a rally outside of the building in protest.
A federal judge temporarily restricted the team’s access to some information on Saturday.
Installing allies within the Office of Personnel Management, Musk and his team offered buyouts to tens of thousands of federal workers, reportedly without the consent of career officials. A move that is also temporarily blocked by a judge.
They have also taken control of some of the government’s basic functions, controlled under the General Services Administration by installing allies and directing staff to follow orders to end policies.
Despite pushback from Democrats, federal employees, organizations and federal judges, Musk nor Trump seem to be deterred.
When asked if there was anything Musk is not allowed to touch in the government, the president told reporters that he and Musk “haven’t discussed that much” but that nearly everything was open to Musk’s investigations.
