• The Trump administration named Amy Gleason as acting administrator of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), following uncertainty over Elon Musk’s role. Gleason, a former US Digital Service official, has experience in government technology and previously worked on the White House Coronavirus Task Force.
• Over 20 civil service employees resigned from DOGE. They cited concerns about dismantling critical public services and Musk’s influence.
• The DOGE initiative aims to reduce the federal workforce and streamline government functions. However, its rollout has faced legal challenges, internal resistance and concerns over Musk’s expanding influence.

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On Tuesday, Feb. 25, the Trump administration named Amy Gleason acting administrator of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The announcement comes after weeks of questions about billionaire Elon Musk’s role and authority as DOGE’s “chair.” 

Gleason, a former U.S. Digital Service official, has experience in government technology and previously worked on the White House Coronavirus Task Force during Trump’s first term. The administration has not clarified how long she has held the role.

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Why are government staffers resigning?

Over 20 civil service employees resigned from DOGE on Tuesday, stating they refuse to use their technical expertise to “dismantle critical public services.” The group, which included engineers, data scientists, designers and product managers, warned that many of Musk’s new hires lack the necessary skills to execute major government reforms.

In a joint resignation letter obtained by The Associated Press, the employees said, “We swore to serve the American people and uphold our oath to the Constitution across presidential administrations. However, it has become clear that we can no longer honor those commitments.”

The White House dismissed the resignations.

In a statement, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “Anyone who thinks protests, lawsuits and lawfare will deter President Trump must have been sleeping under a rock for the past several years.” 

What is Elon Musk’s role in DOGE?

While Musk has been DOGE’s public face, the White House insisted his official status is that of a special government employee rather than a full-time administrator. Musk has issued directives on social media, and critics argue his involvement in the agency has led to chaotic restructuring efforts.

Musk posted to X that the story was “fake news” and that the staffers who resigned were “Dem political holdovers” who “would have been fired” anyway.

How has DOGE affected government operations?

DOGE, created under Trump’s executive order, aims to reduce the size of the federal workforce and streamline government functions. However, its rollout has been met with legal challenges and internal resistance.

Federal judges have questioned the lack of clarity regarding DOGE’s leadership, with U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly pressing government attorneys on who is in charge of the initiative. The judge also raised concerns about DOGE’s access to sensitive data systems at the Treasury Department.

Additionally, nearly 40 employees in the U.S. Digital Service, which previously handled government tech modernization, were laid off earlier this month.

Former staffers said the cuts threaten key public services, including Social Security, veterans’ benefits, tax filing systems and disaster relief programs.

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What happens next?

The administration has not signaled any plans to reverse course on DOGE’s restructuring efforts.

Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy oversees certain aspects of federal workforce reforms and has defended the initiative as a necessary step to make the government “more efficient and accountable.”

Meanwhile, some lawmakers have raised concerns over Musk’s expanding influence.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., a longtime critic of DOGE, said, “This move signals that the administration doesn’t care about the expertise needed to run government services—only about consolidating power.”

Despite the backlash, Musk has continued promoting DOGE on social media, posting a photo from the Conservative Political Action Conference where he held up a chainsaw, calling it the “chainsaw for bureaucracy.”