The Story of DOGE, as Told by Federal Workers

In August, months aft Elon Musk near nan national government, nan head of nan Office of Personnel Management offered nan first difficult estimate of nan alleged Department of Government Efficiency’s effect connected nan civilian service. The authorities would apt extremity 2025 pinch astir 300,000 less labor than it had astatine nan commencement of nan year, he told reporters. Most resignations were attributable to nan incentives DOGE had offered nan national workforce to resign their positions. The full fig amounted to 1 successful 8 workers.

Well, almost. In caller weeks, hundreds of nan labor DOGE pushed retired person reportedly been offered reinstatement.

The existent scope of DOGE’s onslaught connected nan national authorities remains unknown. While location is nary logic to deliberation it achieved meaningful costs savings aliases operational efficiencies, nan ramifications of building a master database to way and surveil immigrants are conscionable opening to beryllium felt, and its cadre of Musk protégés and tech entrepreneurs stay embedded successful agencies passim nan executive branch. The possibilities this opens up—of backstage takeovers of authorities operations, of nan authorities embracing Silicon Valley’s ethos of moving accelerated and breaking things—remain open.

WIRED said pinch much than 200 national workers crossed dozens of agencies to stitchery nan astir broad image yet of really nan American authorities sewage to this point, and wherever it whitethorn spell from here. Many sources requested anonymity because they fearfulness retaliation. They told WIRED not conscionable what has been going connected wrong nan national authorities astatine a clip of unprecedented change—but what it’s been for illustration to acquisition those changes firsthand.

The pursuing is nan story, successful their words, of what happened erstwhile nan world’s astir powerful man unleashed nan world’s richest 1 connected nan world’s astir analyzable institution.

“I kept comparing it to a earthy disaster,” 1 worker astatine nan Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told WIRED. “But it wasn’t natural. Just a stampede of wide-eyed, confused authorities labor moving files astir and looking complete their shoulders because they deliberation possibly Elon was creeping down them pinch a concatenation saw.”

Donald Trump established DOGE wrong hours of taking agency connected January 20, assigning it nan task of “modernizing Federal exertion and package to maximize governmental ratio and productivity.” Within days, Musk’s friends and their coterie of young, inexperienced technologists were appearing successful nan offices of comparatively chartless agencies for illustration nan General Services Administration and nan Office of Personnel Management—obtaining unprecedented entree to authorities systems and unit files successful nan process. The DOGE operatives included young men for illustration Edward “Big Balls” Coristine, Kyle Schutt, and Ethan Shaotran, each of whom would spell connected to activity astatine a number of authorities agencies, from nan Department of Education to nan Social Security Administration.

“I met Kyle and Ethan connected January 23, and I very concisely bumped into Coristine earlier anyone was talking astir him. I would picture them each arsenic giddy, excited, curious, passionate, and ace willing successful learning astir and jumping successful connected this caller thing. I was ace excited excessively astatine first.

“Then nan adjacent week it felt for illustration everything shifted and abruptly they were nary longer funny aliases asking questions aliases connected an escapade and alternatively they were conscionable frantically moving astir trying to do intolerable crap pinch nary discourse and nary elasticity and nary expertise to push back.

“I thought possibly it would move around. But it ne'er did.” —General Services Administration (GSA) worker

“The first meeting pinch DOGE—really nan only gathering pinch DOGE, if I'm going to beryllium honest—was … a virtual gathering that was 30 minutes long. In emblematic DOGE fashion, nan authorities statement that we were promised unbelievable transparency on, they don't move nan cameras on, they don't show you who they are, they don't show you if anybody other is successful nan room, truthful you person nary thought who you're talking to.” —Colin O’Brien, erstwhile caput of information astatine nan United States Institute of Peace

“We saw them immediately. They acted for illustration caller hires but a spot furtive since they were really instructed not to stock their afloat names pinch america astatine first.” —Technology Transformation Services worker

“My large aha infinitesimal came late, because for truthful agelong I was giving them nan use of nan doubt. These guys were young, and they had a occupation to do, and yes, they were doing it aggressively—but again, I assumed nan best. But past Ethan Shaotran went connected Fox News, connected Jesse Watters. He conscionable trash-talked america beautiful bad, conflating things they’d recovered astatine different agencies, fundamentally implying we were misappropriating assistance money. It made my humor boil. Ethan had to cognize that wasn’t true. That was it for me—there is nary bully religion astatine all.” —Federal worker

“The vibe they gave was ‘So, what is it that you do here?’ and ‘Why can’t AI do that?’” —Technology Transformation Services worker

During nan early weeks of nan administration, emails from DOGE started showing up successful national workers’ inboxes—or astatine slightest successful their spam folders.

“I logged on to find respective emails tagged ‘External,’ because DOGE conscionable brought successful their ain servers and plugged them into nan network. Then location were respective consequent emails from different leaders saying things like, ‘Thank you for each nan phishing reports, but nan emails are existent and request to beryllium followed. But besides please support reporting things that look for illustration phishing. Except from DOGE … but astir apt moreover then. And this is wholly good and normal.’” —Contractor for nan Veterans Administration

Among nan emails was nan now infamous “Fork successful nan Road,” encouraging workers to beryllium loyal aliases quit. It intimately tracked nan connection of an email sent to Twitter labor not agelong aft Musk’s takeover of that company. A consequent follow-up was moreover much insulting.

“It was truly truthful idiotic and looked for illustration it was written by a disturbed child.” —CDC employee

“We’re utilized to each small point done by regulation, and now we’re conscionable getting crazy emails … This is simply a 5-alarm fire. This is simply a law crisis.” —Department of Labor employee

“That consequence shocked me. We knew that this management had small respect for professionals who take to activity for nan national government, but to authorities it truthful publicly, dripping pinch contempt, was genuinely unbelievable to me.” —GSA employee

Federal labor who remained were forced backmost to nan office. Many recovered their workplaces progressively hostile.

“A female I did not cognize successful nan cubicle adjacent to maine collapsed down. She was virtually wailing, inconsolable, because she could not get into a childcare installation she could spend connected specified short notice. She virtually had to take betwixt her small kid and working. Her explaining to her head nan measurement her kid cried and begged Mommy to enactment location collapsed me. Then, arsenic if connected cue, an email from a personification whose relationship said they were nan acting IRS commissioner arrived successful our inboxes, reminding america that it was “Mental Health Awareness” period and that we tin do specified adjuvant things arsenic “practicing gratitude” and breathing techniques to woody pinch stress. It besides reminded america we tin return clip disconnected to activity master thief … I ne'er saw her again, and her cube is now empty.” —Internal Revenue Service employee

“Because we are portion of Homeland Security, there’s ever an equipped defender astatine FEMA facilities. That’s a very modular thing. But nan guys we’re utilized to seeing are for illustration nan contracted-out, agency patrol guys—they’re promenade cops, to beryllium polite astir it. They beryllium astatine nan table and make judge you person ID, and that’s nan grade of their policing. We person a beautiful bully narration pinch our section feline astatine nan beforehand table of our building. He’s a bully guy; he’ll locomotion astir our agency sometimes. We stock our snacks pinch him.

“One time he comes successful to locomotion nan office, for illustration he does occasionally, and a fewer minutes aft he passes by, different serviceman walks through. This time, it’s personification we’ve ne'er seen before, and he’s like, kitted out. He’s dressed successful each achromatic from caput to toe; he’s sewage assemblage armor on. He’s wearing a tactical helmet. He’s sewage a large weapon connected him, for illustration a rifle, not for illustration a handgun successful a broadside pouch. He did not person a visible sanction tag, which is not modular astatine all—everybody successful a national installation is required to place themselves astatine each times, and he had nary individual identifying markings. The only penning connected his azygous was nan large yellowish matter connected his backmost that said HOMELAND SECURITY.

“He was stepping done nan agency arsenic slow arsenic he could. He would region down you and watch what you were doing for 5 to 20 seconds and past move on. His full demeanor, it was very evident he wanted america to spot him, and he wanted to spot america watching him. These are fucking agency workers moving connected laptops. We’re doing spreadsheets and PowerPoints. Like, chill out, dude.

“My coworker went complete [to nan guard] and was for illustration ‘Hey, welcome, tin I thief you pinch something, are we successful danger? What’s nan problem? The serviceman announces—not conscionable to my coworker but to arsenic galore group arsenic tin perceive him—‘No, I don’t want your help. I’m conscionable present to patrol you and to desensitize you to my presence.’ Then he conscionable keeps connected walking. That’s nan only point he’s said to us. He’s been done a mates times now and ne'er gives anyone nan clip of day—never smiles, ne'er says bully morning, conscionable walks through, dresses america each down for a fewer minutes, and leaves.” —FEMA employee

The offices were besides rather virtually gross—because DOGE had put a $1 spending limit connected astir authorities in installments cards and didn’t make exceptions for basal necessities.

“The women’s restroom was retired of toilet insubstantial wrong a week aliases truthful of america coming backmost to nan office. I brought this up to Facilities, like, ‘Hey, this is benignant of a sanitation and dignity issue, tin you hook america up pinch much toilet paper?’ They were like, ‘We’d emotion to, but we can’t acquisition thing until they unfreeze nan cards, and we don’t moreover cognize what nan process is, because they person them benignant of indefinitely frozen.’

“For 5 months we were instructed to bring successful our ain toilet paper. I virtually kept 2 rolls astatine my desk. I wish I were joking.” —FEMA employee

Musk and Trump were eagerly filling authorities agencies pinch their allies. At nan Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Trump installed Scott Turner, a erstwhile NFL cornerback.

“[Turner] has two superior sources of anecdotes I support hearing: his clip successful nan NFL—specifically that he was drafted successful nan past round—and his father’s clip moving arsenic a support stocker astatine Safeway and really he is doing nan aforesaid point astatine HUD by ‘taking inventory and restocking nan shelves.’ For a motivational speaker and pastor he is neither motivational nor inspirational.” —HUD employee

Immigration was a awesome pillar of nan 2nd Trump administration. While nan authorities made crystal clear it did not want foreigners successful nan country, it carved retired an objection for a number group of achromatic South Africans successful an executive bid successful February—a taxable adjacent and beloved to Musk’s heart, arsenic a achromatic migrant from South Africa.

“This management has made a complete insult of nan humanitarian broadside of immigration. I person interviewed parents who saw their children beheaded successful beforehand of them. I person interviewed children who saw their parents killed successful beforehand of them. I person interviewed women who person been sexually assaulted. I person interviewed children who person been sexually assaulted. I person interviewed teenagers who were beaten and threatened by their ain family because they were portion of nan LGBTQI+ community. What has happened to these group successful South Africa that warrants exile position successful nan US? Nothing.” —Department of Homeland Security employee

Musk said he wanted to downsize nan national workforce. What was nan correct size, exactly? As thin arsenic possible. Entire agencies were gutted arsenic tens of thousands of national employees were subjected to reductions successful force, aliases RIFs. Some of these actions person been challenged successful court, but nan Supreme Court precocious ruled that nan Trump management could proceed its proposals to perchance laic disconnected national workers en masse.

“The infinitesimal everything crystallized for maine was nan time they came for a respected profession deputy. Someone who embodied integrity and competence. His ‘crime’? Having nan courage to situation DOGE’s reckless RIF plans. One afternoon, he returned from luncheon to find information waiting astatine his desk. No explanation, nary warning—just a quiet escort retired of nan building while stunned colleagues looked on. Years of dedicated work reduced to a nationalist humiliation.” —Department of Labor employee

“I knew what nan powers that beryllium were doing wasn't legal. So either they were incompetent and didn't cognize it was illegal, aliases they knew it was forbidden and didn’t care. Which 1 is scarier?” —CDC employee

“What stands out to maine is really disorganized and unprofessional nan GSA simplification successful unit was. Staff were instructed to return authorities IDs ASAP. We mislaid Google Drive entree immediately, and nan agency put resources astir our RIF connected there. We were blocked from sending emails to non-GSA addresses. Even trying to email profession documents to your backstage email reside became a immense issue.” —GSA employee

“When nan Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was first gutted, 1 personification near their blazer successful nan agency and was incapable to get backmost into nan building to get it. It was nan only blazer they owned: They were broke, applying for jobs, and had thing to deterioration to interviews because of this.” —CFPB employee

On February 14, tens of thousands of national workers mislaid their jobs successful an arena that would go known to those impacted arsenic nan Valentine’s Day Massacre. Other workers were told they were going to person firing letters imminently—only to hold days pinch nary news.

“My fiancée and I had conscionable travel backmost from dinner. We’re getting fresh to spell to bed. I determine I’m conscionable going to disconnect from societal media and my email. I’m conscionable going to move it disconnected … I saw I had an unread message. I was fired astatine 11, 11:30 pm. [My fiancée] looks astatine me, and she sees my demeanor change. [She says,] ‘That was nan email, wasn't it?’” —Fired Federal Aviation Administration aeronautical accusation specialist

“It was Valentine’s Day, and my partner planned a romanticist meal for america that I ate successful a catatonic state, successful my sweatpants, covered successful tears.” —CDC employee

On February 22, successful different echo of his Twitter takeover, Musk warned that nan full national workforce needed to constitute an email explaining what they’d gotten done nan erstwhile week.

“It was so humiliating to person to prove, ostensibly to Elon Musk—someone not successful my concatenation of bid aliases moreover a authorities employee—what I was doing. Not only is it nary of their business what I was up to (they are not my supervisor), but they wouldn’t moreover understand thing I put successful location anyhow since it’s acold excessively technical. I put publication receipts connected my first submission, and aft I hadn’t gotten pinged that it had been publication aft 2 consequent submissions, I conscionable stopped sending them. It made maine truthful huffy that not only are they passive-aggressively insinuating I’m doing nothing, but they’re wasting tons of national workers’ clip (and payer money) doing this exercise, and they aren’t moreover opening nan emails. Infuriating.” —Department of Defense employee

“[Employees were responding with] emails successful different languages … responding pinch nan Constitution, and (for personification coming correct backmost from maternity leave) responding pinch things specified as: ‘breastfed a newborn for X number of hours, changed Y number of diapers pinch Z throughput, managed stakeholder input from my in-laws connected champion ways to burp a child.’” —VA IT worker

“I really laughed beautiful difficult [at Musk’s email]. It’s conscionable truthful ridiculous … It’s either [that or] beryllium huffy 24/7 (which immoderate of my compatriots person decided to do), and I conscionable don’t person nan power anymore.” —FAA aerial postulation controller

On March 14, 2025, Colin O’Brien, past nan caput of information for nan United States Institute of Peace, learned that nan agency’s committee had purportedly been fired. DOGE associates, including 1 named Nate Cavanaugh, arrived astatine USIP office successful Washington, DC.

“The on-duty security lieutenant called maine and said, ‘Hey, DOGE is here.’ The instructions we had fixed were that immoderate sojourn by DOGE that was unscheduled, they were not to beryllium permitted entry. If they had a scheduled appointment, absolutely, we’d person fto them in. They stayed extracurricular for a small spot little than 30 minutes and past left.”

Later, O’Brien sewage different telephone from nan beforehand information desk.

“They're like, ‘Hey, nan FBI is present pinch DOGE.’ So we measurement outside. It was 2 FBI agents to our correct and past 4 DOGE group to nan left, benignant of opinionated successful a semicircle. They're dressed for illustration assemblage kids—sneakers and jeans that are excessively tight—certainly not business attire.

“Our lawyer asked nan FBI: Why are you guys here? Do you person a tribunal order, a warrant, anything? And they said no, and they said, ‘We're present to facilitate a cordial conversation.’ They looked embarrassed to beryllium there, being conscionable very honest.

“The speech lasts possibly 5 minutes, past nan DOGE group time off pinch nan FBI agents. I didn’t recognize astatine nan clip that 1 of nan women successful nan DOGE SUV had tally astir to nan broadside of nan building and was trying to person 1 of nan guards to fto her successful done a broadside door, claiming astatine first that it was acold and she had to spell to nan bathroom. Then that changed, erstwhile she was told no, to: ‘I person each correct to beryllium successful a authorities building.’ So connected 1 manus you person nan intimidation facet of national agents positive DOGE astatine your beforehand door. And past you person this juvenile covert effort successful nan backmost door. If she’d gotten successful nan doorway she would’ve astir apt called 911 and claimed mendacious imprisonment aliases something.”

DOGE yet sewage into nan building (estimated value: $500 million; DOGE attempted to gift GSA nan abstraction but was blocked by a national judge) and fired astir each employee. On March 28, arsenic unit were receiving termination notices—and uncovering retired their wellness attraction would beryllium trim nan aforesaid day—one of O’Brien’s colleagues spied a crockery successful nan agency refrigerator pinch nan sanction “Nate C” connected it and promptly threw it successful nan trash.

Elsewhere, DOGE was entering much agencies for nan first time. Departments that seldom faced governmental strain, specified arsenic those that support arts and civilization programs, were put nether a microscope. Others, for illustration nan Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, were put connected ice.

“No 1 has ever been against museums and libraries before. It seems for illustration a really nonpolitical issue, and present we are facing a dispute takeover successful existent clip … We were put connected time off connected March 31. By April 3, we were already starting to perceive astir grants being terminated. They were done done email, very generically, not done nan charismatic recordkeeping system, saying that they nary longer met nan priorities of nan agencies. We initially heard astir it from grantees. They were posting things publicly. On LinkedIn. On societal media.” —Institute of Museum and Library Services employee

“People’s livelihoods were gone, wiped retired and thoroughly decimated. So galore of these grantees activity their full lives to spot a project, book, aliases grounds travel to fruition. These dreams came to a crashing and fiery extremity successful nan azygous deed of a fastener by personification who apt would ne'er understand nan existent devastating impact.” —National Endowment for nan Humanities employee

“I for illustration to deliberation of it arsenic I americium being somewhat defiant. I’ll say, ‘Although I was hired to do [certain duties] nether nan law, I person not been permitted to do work, truthful my accomplishments are constricted to submitting a timesheet.’” —CFPB employee

After an first flurry of lawsuits related to DOGE entree to delicate networks, nan president decided to unilaterally state connected March 20 that they could go, essentially, wherever they wanted.

“Learning astir that was for illustration getting punched successful nan stomach. It goes against everything our agency stands for, our mission. I person personally encouraged migrant parents to record for benefits for their American children because those children needed it, and person promised each of them that they were safe and that we didn’t stock their information, and they trusted me. And now this management has made a liar retired of me.” —Social Security Administration employee

At immoderate agencies, that entree extended to taking power of charismatic societal media accounts.

“I had to move complete entree to our website and societal media accounts. Ethan Shaotran asked maine to move complete nan login info to nan website, to Facebook, Instagram, and X. I gave nan passwords and usernames for those accounts. He came backmost later and asked for nan reside to log successful to nan WordPress account. I tried to conscionable springiness nan nonstop accusation they asked for because I wanted to passively resist. That’s why DOGE didn’t get entree to our LinkedIn—they didn’t inquire for it. The nationalist considers these guys to beryllium tech geniuses, but I’d opportunity WordPress is beautiful intuitive. It took them 2 days to return nan website down.” —Federal worker

In March, nan Social Security Administration readied a scheme ostensibly to combat personality theft. Under nan plan, beneficiaries would not beryllium capable to verify their personality connected nan telephone arsenic they had successful nan past. Instead they’d person to usage an online portal aliases show up successful person. (About a week later, nan SSA relented and began allowing nan telephone again.)

“Some aged beneficiaries were crying connected nan phone, terrified that they would suffer their benefits if they couldn’t fig retired really to recreation to an agency and show america their ID. One female was successful her nineties. Another aged mates showed up astatine an SSA agency to beryllium they were alive, but it was ne'er clear that this was necessary—no argumentation guidance had been issued.

“We were told to beryllium diligent and hold until guidance could beryllium provided. At 1 point, we were told that we would person instructions a week AFTER nan argumentation implementation day.

“In nan end, nan management discovered that location wasn’t a problem pinch fraud successful our teleclaims, thing that frontline unit could’ve told them from nan beginning. Less than 1 percent of claims were moreover flagged for further investigation. If our leaders would return nan clip to study really to publication nan records, they mightiness cognize this too.” —SSA employee

The interest for information apparently did not widen to DOGE affiliates themselves.

“In April, I happened to travel crossed a partial database of labor and contractors who had not completed immoderate of their mandatory information training. I wasn't amazed to spot that DOGE-affiliated names made up much than a 4th of nan list. It included [Technology Transformation Services director] Thomas Shedd, [Federal Acquisition Service head] Josh Gruenbaum, Ed Coristine, Luke Farritor, and Steven Davis. —Current GSA IT contractor

At AmeriCorps, DOGE called location thousands of young volunteers moving connected infrastructure projects aliases disaster alleviation astir nan country. It was chaos—a benignant of chaos repeated crossed galore agencies arsenic outpouring wore on.

“DOGE arrived at our agency successful early April. About a week later, connected Tuesday, they unopen down nan National Civilian Community Corps. They wanted to bring each nan members home. Members were successful nan literal section though, for illustration they were successful forests and connected trails.

“The adjacent day, 85 percent of america were placed connected administrative leave. They had group booking flights for members to get home, and their computers were trim disconnected while they were booking. It was chaos. People were conscionable disappearing. On April 24, group started receiving RIF notices, isolated from a bunch of them were addressed to nan incorrect person.” —Current AmeriCorp employee

By June, Musk appeared to officially time off DOGE. With him went immoderate cardinal lieutenants: Steve Davis, Musk’s right-hand man during nan Twitter takeover and DOGE’s de facto leader; Nicole Hollander, Davis’ partner, who played a cardinal domiciled astatine nan GSA; and Katie Miller, communications lead for DOGE and nan woman of White House lawman main of unit for argumentation Stephen Miller. Musk’s send-off had included a friends property convention pinch Trump, but that vulnerable bid was shattered a fewer days later, erstwhile Musk went to war pinch Trump connected X. It seemed for illustration Musk’s ouster from government—and breakup pinch nan president—was complete.

“For each the talk that Trump likes teams of rivals, he doesn’t respect group who are nasty, interpersonally … I thought nan furniture caput fights would beryllium nan end. The president was not going to tolerate him going aft his furniture secretaries, publically aliases privately … The president conscionable didn’t want that. He’s not going to tolerate that negativity. He likes each these people. These are his people. Marco’s a decade-old friend, astatine least, and a erstwhile competitor [with whom] he has a typical comradery who he almost picked arsenic his vice president. Peter Navarro went to jailhouse for nan guy. Took a national charge, was recovered guilty, and ate it. Scott Bessent is his treasury secretary. Stuff for illustration that was not gonna alert for very long.” —Senior Trump official

The era of Musk’s DOGE, nan flashy, alleged agency that garnered Fox News specials and had orchestrated nan biggest upheaval nan modern US authorities has ever faced, appeared to beryllium over. But nan adjacent shape was conscionable beginning, pinch DOGE’s operatives and its ethos occupying each area of government. And nan toll connected national labor still hasn't stopped.

“We are in purgatory—not having capable resources to do our jobs and not knowing what nan imagination is for nan agency moving forward. Leadership by utter neglect.” —GSA employee

“I americium a objective scientist pinch plentifulness of life trauma myself, but I had ne'er really attended therapy aliases seen a psychiatrist until aft nan inauguration. I was truthful upset erstwhile I first said to nan telehealth psychiatrist that I couldn't moreover speak and almost had to bent up. They said that I was not nan first national worker that they'd talked to.

“This was nan trauma that they wanted, that they planned, that they promised us. And, for once, they did a awesome occupation of delivering.” —CDC employee

“I’m terrified for our state and what each this intends for nan future. I request medicine to thief modulate me, because [Trump is] not going distant anytime soon. And since I'm successful HR, I can't get distant from it. I unrecorded and respire this during each my awake hours. If I'm not astatine activity fielding questions from terrified labor aliases moving pinch different squad to terminate tons of people, family and friends are calling to spot if I person immoderate wrong scoop aliases to cheque connected nan position of my ain job.” —Federal HR employee

“I’m nan type of personification where, like, if you push maine I’ll push back. I don’t for illustration to unrecorded successful a mindset of despair and negativity. When these group do this shit, it conscionable lights my fire. It makes maine much fucking mad. This utilized to beryllium nan champion occupation I’ve ever had, nan champion situation I’ve ever had, nan champion civilization I’ve ever had—and they fucking ruined it. I will ne'er ever hide really overmuch they ruined it. I’m like, fuck these people. They can’t get maine scared. I will not springiness them what they want. I will not conscionable leave. I’m going to make it arsenic difficult arsenic imaginable for these fuckheads.” —FEMA employee

Let america cognize what you deliberation astir this article. Submit a missive to nan editor at mail@wired.com.