On the first day of Donald Trump’s second presidency, he signed an executive order which renamed the U.S. Digital Service (USDS) to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The goal of the organization is “modernizing federal technology and software to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity,” but has quickly become the subject of fervent opposition and widespread lawsuits. Elon Musk, the richest man in the world and head of the new organization, has particularly come under fire for one of DOGE’s largest efforts: Slashing the federal workforce.
Through its efforts, DOGE has fired workers in a variety of ways; on February 6, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) offered a “Fork in the Road” email to allow workers to resign from their jobs in exchange for several months of paid leave. AP News also reported on how thousands of probationary employees have been laid off in a variety of departments, ranging from the Department of Defense to the National Park Service. A judge recently declared this effort unconstitutional, though Axios reported that many of these employees may be re-terminated as the Trump administration prepares for a formal “Reduction in Force” effort. –Boris Nusinzon