Some DOGE staffers lamented "mistakes" the agency made while it tried to slash federal spending, which caused the department to become hated by its colleagues, according to a new report.
One of President Donald Trump's first actions in his second term was to create the Department of Government Efficiency, which was led by SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk. The purpose of DOGE was to decrease federal spending by up to $2 trillion, according to the agency, although the amount of money the department saved the government is still unknown.
Nine former DOGE staffers spoke to Politico about their experience working for Musk's agency. They noted multiple missteps the agency made, which put them squarely at odds with people who could have helped them fulfil their mission.
“The height of our power was the five-bullets email,” a DOGE official told Politico, referring to the "Fork in the Road" email Musk sent to government employees asking them to accept deferred resignations. The officials described the email as a "mistake" that "pitted DOGE against departments and agencies who were increasingly frustrated by Musk’s lack of communication and heavyhandedness," according to the report.
“Then it turned into fear and revulsion and hatred," the staffer said.
Other mistakes the agency made include allowing Steve Davis, a Musk ally, to direct DOGE's work even after Davis left the federal government.
“It wasn’t just a couple, it was like a lot of people asking what do we do about this?” an official told Politico.