Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has implemented a dramatic overhaul of federal agencies, introducing a strategy aimed at streamlining operations and eliminating inefficiencies.
During a town hall in Leesburg, Virginia, an anonymous federal employee voiced concerns about the restructuring process, revealing that recent college graduates from DOGE have been conducting brief interviews with agency staff, requiring them to justify their roles before determining if they should remain employed.
“I was nervous and reticent to come up here and speak just for retaliation,” the worker said. “In the last week, we had Elon Musk in our building, and after he visited, he called for a 50% cut of the entire agency. My colleagues are getting 15-minute one-on-one check-ins with 19-, 20-, and 21-year-old college graduates asking to justify their existence.”
The employee also claimed that agency supervisors have been instructed to remain silent about the process and that they are now required to fill out justification forms for their staff.
“Supervisors are being told not to tell their staff anything, withhold information. Today, we got word that supervisors must now fill out a justification form and that there’s going to be just a 30% rank-and-yank with all staff in my agency.”
Adding to the concerns, the worker alleged that one of Musk’s key team members and his family have taken up residence within the agency’s building. “To top it all off, one of Musk’s top lieutenants and his wife and young child have shacked up on the sixth floor of our agency. The hallway has been blocked off for a special access list for people who can’t get back there.”
Though the specific agency was not named, reports indicate that Musk’s DOGE team took control of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) on January 20, the day President Trump took office.
According to sources within OPM, Musk’s employees moved sofa beds into the building’s fifth floor—where the director’s office is located—to facilitate continuous work on restructuring efforts.
Additionally, the chief management officer of OPM, Katie Malague, has reportedly been reassigned to a different floor as part of the transition.
Criticism of DOGE’s overhaul has intensified, with some employees claiming that the restructuring has led to the exposure of personal information. “Queer and trans folks of my agency are being doxxed in the public. Their lives are threatened,” the worker said.
Despite opposition from some federal employees and unions, Musk’s initiative remains focused on reducing bureaucracy and ensuring that taxpayer funds are used efficiently. The DOGE team’s aggressive approach signals a significant shift in how federal agencies operate, prioritizing accountability and productivity over entrenched bureaucratic practices.