Twenty-one civil service employees resigned from the Trump administration on Tuesday, saying that they refused to help the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) trim the federal workforce.
The 21 staffers, including engineers, data scientists and product managers, sent a joint resignation letter stating that they are opposed to using their technical expertise to “compromise core government systems.”
“We will not use our skills as technologists to compromise core government systems, jeopardize Americans’ sensitive data, or dismantle critical public services,” the 21 employees said in their letter obtained by Fox News and The Associated Press. “We will not lend our expertise to carry out or legitimize DOGE’s actions.”
Twenty-one government employees resigned saying they would not help the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), being overseen by Elon Musk, seen here. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
DOGE adviser Katie Millier said in an X post that the employees who resigned were “full remote workers who hung Trans flags from their workplaces.”
The resignations come as DOGE leader Elon Musk has been spearheading the Trump administration’s efforts to increase government efficiency by laying off federal employees and eliminating wasteful federal spending.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the resignation letter in a statement to The Associated Press, noting that any court challenges or other protests will not affect Trump from delivering his promises.
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“Anyone who thinks protests, lawsuits, and lawfare will deter President Trump must have been sleeping under a rock for the past several years,” Leavitt reportedly wrote. “President Trump will not be deterred from delivering on the promises he made to make our federal government more efficient and more accountable to the hardworking American taxpayers.”
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The Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk, has laid off thousands of staffers across several federal agencies. (Thomas Fuller/SOPA Images/LightRocket)
Fox News Digital also reached out to the White House about the letter but did not immediately hear back.
The 21 staffers were originally onboarded into DOGE after working for the United States Digital Service, an office established under former President Barack Obama’s administration following the botched rollout of Healthcare.gov, according to the AP. The web portal was used by millions of Americans to sign up for insurance plans through the Democrat’s signature healthcare law, the Affordable Care Act.
The now-former staffers complained about their DOGE onboarding process after Trump took office.
“Several of these interviewers refused to identify themselves, asked questions about political loyalty, attempted to pit colleagues against each other, and demonstrated limited technical ability,” the staffers wrote in their letter. “This process created significant security risks.”
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Twenty-one federal employees resigned on Tuesday in opposition against Elon Musk slashing the size of the government. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
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During the transition, 40 staffers reportedly were laid off earlier this month and the 65 remaining staffers were integrated into DOGE. Only 44 employees now remain, according to the AP’s reporting.
“We swore to serve the American people and uphold our oath to the Constitution across presidential administrations,” the 21 staffers stated. “However, it has become clear that we can no longer honor those commitments.”
Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
