Daijiworld Media Network – Washington

Washington, Sep 15: Nearly 100 days after Elon Musk’s dramatic exit from the Trump administration, federal agencies continue to grapple with the aftershocks of his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative.

Operating from an office near the White House, Musk deployed small teams of technology specialists to dismantle traditional civil service systems, affecting a federal workforce of over two million. According to the Partnership for Public Service, about 200,000 civil servants have left their jobs since the program began, many of them military veterans facing sudden career disruption and emotional distress.

After a public rift with President Trump earlier this year, DOGE largely shut down. “It’s a little bit like Godzilla having flattened the city and left. Godzilla is gone, but there’s still a flattened city,” said Max Stier, president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service. Musk has since labeled the US government “basically unfixable,” citing political resistance to spending cuts.

While most top DOGE executives departed with Musk, some allies remain in influential federal roles. Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia now leads a redesign of government websites, while Social Security CIO Aram Moghaddassi faces a whistleblower complaint over a major data exposure. Investor Brad Smith has returned to government at the State Department, and former Andreessen Horowitz partner Scott Kupor heads the US Office of Personnel Management.

Critics warn that DOGE’s influence persists in quieter ways. “Don’t misunderstand the lack of the loud face that was Elon Musk to think they have disappeared,” cautioned a Pentagon employee. Civil liberties advocate Cindy Cohn said DOGE’s work now happens “behind a curtain,” with whistleblowers alleging hidden mismanagement and ongoing risks.