On the heels of the general public war of words between President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, nervousness is mounting among the many remaining workers of the Musk-founded Division of Authorities Effectivity, with some staffers frightened not solely about their future in authorities however about probably changing into future targets of the administration, based on sources.
Some DOGE staffers nonetheless embedded throughout federal businesses worry that the rift and public mudslinging between Trump and Musk may go away them weak to political retribution and injury their future job prospects, a number of sources aware of inner discussions advised ABC Information.
Some worry their affiliation with DOGE may make them targets if the feud escalates and Trump strikes to analyze the government-slashing initiative that Musk led till he stepped away final week, the sources mentioned.
Others fear that if Trump distances himself from DOGE, their ties to it may grow to be an expert legal responsibility, mentioned sources.
ABC Information has reached out to the White Home for remark.
Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, grew near Trump over the past yr as he campaigned for Trump’s reelection earlier than serving to launch DOGE to attempt to fulfill Trump’s objective of slashing the federal authorities. A quasi-governmental entity, DOGE has generated controversy because it’s shuttered government agencies and gained entry to delicate knowledge.
The connection between the president and the world’s richest particular person erupted into an exchange of insults on social media Thursday as Musk slammed Trump for “ingratitude” over the 2024 election whereas Trump threatened to “terminate Elon’s governmental subsidies and contracts.”
Elon Musk attends a press convention within the Oval Workplace of the White Home in Washington, Could 30, 2025 and President Donald Trump talking within the Oval Workplace on the White Home in Washington, June 5, 2025.
Reuters
Amid the spat, Conflict Room host and former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, a longtime ally of Trump who has been vital of Musk for years, has been calling for the president to launch investigations into the billionaire following Thursday’s blowup.
“This can be a nationwide safety subject,” Bannon mentioned on his present Thursday. “We’re coping with a really unstable particular person out saying harmful issues in regards to the president of america. He should be investigated … and all authorities contracts needs to be suspended.”
A number of of Musk’s prime allies who served as particular authorities staff with Musk, together with Steve Davis, his longtime lieutenant and DOGE operational lead, departed DOGE last week together with Musk. However many DOGE staff stay embedded throughout federal businesses, together with on the Workplace of Personnel Administration, Veterans Affairs, Treasury, IRS, and Social Safety Administration, sources mentioned.
Nonetheless, Musk’s departure marked a serious turning level for DOGE and the way it will operate daily, given officers like Davis helped lead the DOGE crew each day for months throughout the federal authorities.
In Musk’s absence, DOGE workers will proceed to report back to their respective company management, sources mentioned. Final week, the White Home mentioned that shifting ahead the “DOGE leaders are each member of the president’s cupboard and the president himself.”
Sources inform ABC Information that some DOGE staffers nonetheless working contained in the federal authorities have begun searching for jobs elsewhere. And whereas there’s concern amongst some about their future profession prospects, some main tech corporations have expressed curiosity in hiring DOGE alumni — with corporations like Coinbase even making a devoted hiring portal particularly recruiting former DOGE workers.
Regardless of Trump and Musk’s public feud, the president has but to publicly criticize DOGE throughout the disagreement, and has beforehand lauded the initiative.
At a White Home press availability within the Oval Workplace final week, Trump mentioned Musk “delivered a colossal change within the outdated methods of doing enterprise in Washington” and described DOGE as “essentially the most sweeping and consequential authorities reform program in generations”.
Musk, for his half, downplayed the concept DOGE wanted him to outlive as he left the Trump administration final week.
“DOGE is a lifestyle, like Buddhism,” he mentioned. “You would not ask the query, ‘Who would lead Buddhism?'”
