Inside DOGE's Campaign of Secrecy

Summary

The Journal: Inside DOGE's Campaign of Secrecy

Episode Release Date: February 28, 2025

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Introduction

In this compelling episode of The Journal, hosted by Kate Linebaugh and Ryan Knutson of The Wall Street Journal & Gimlet, listeners are taken behind the scenes of DOGE's aggressive campaign to overhaul the federal government. DOGE, short for the Department of Government Efficiency, is portrayed as a secretive and highly ambitious entity driven by Elon Musk's vision to reduce national deficits by slashing government spending and modernizing outdated systems.

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The Emergence of DOGE

Elon Musk's Revelation at the Cabinet Meeting

The episode opens with a vivid depiction of President Trump's first Cabinet meeting, where Elon Musk makes a prominent appearance. Wearing a black MAGA hat and a "Tech Support" T-shirt, Musk introduces DOGE to the Cabinet.

• [00:05] Kate Linebaugh: “At President Trump's first Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, there was a familiar face standing up front wearing a black MAGA hat and a T-shirt that read Tech Support.”

• [00:31] Kate Linebaugh: “Elon Musk was there to tell the Cabinet about the work that DOGE, or the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, has been doing. He said they're helping to fix out-of-date computer systems as part of his goal to reduce the national deficit.”

• [00:48] Elon Musk: “If we don't do this, America will go bankrupt. That's why it has to be done.”

Elon Musk’s assertion underscores DOGE's mission to modernize government infrastructure, framing it as a critical step to avert financial collapse.

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DOGE's Operational Tactics

Infiltration and Control of Government Systems

Scott Patterson, a reporter for The Journal, delves into DOGE's swift and secretive operations within government agencies:

• [03:24] Scott Patterson: “My reporting shows that at 12:01pm on January 20th, the day that Trump was inaugurated, there were some people from DOGE arriving at this obscure agency called the Office of Personnel Management.”

DOGE's team, primarily composed of young computer programmers with backgrounds in Musk's companies like SpaceX, Tesla, and Neuralink, strategically targets the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) as their initial foray.

• [05:08] Scott Patterson: “You know, if your goal was to reduce the size of the federal workforce, there'd be no better place, because that is the human resources army of the federal workforce.”

Once inside, DOGE rapidly gains access to sensitive government data:

• [04:36] Scott Patterson: “They were at OPM demanding access to computer systems. They meet some resistance by people who don't know or believe that they have this authorization, but they very quickly get it. And within about a half an hour, they are in the OPM systems and pretty quickly able to access a large amount of information that's in those systems.”

Mass Email Campaigns as a Tool for Downsizing

DOGE employs mass email systems to influence federal employees:

• [05:24] Scott Patterson: “Their first project was putting together this mass email system. … They asked, do you have a system where you can email the entire federal workforce?”

• [05:51] Kate Linebaugh: “A few days later, DOGE put that very powerful tool to work. It sent out a test email intended to hit every single employee in the federal government. Days later, another email went out, this time with a choice. Quit your job and get eight months of paid leave, or keep your job, but risk being fired.”

These emails serve as psychological pressure points, compelling employees to either voluntarily reduce the workforce or face termination.

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Impact on Federal Agencies

Widespread Workforce Reductions

DOGE's actions have led to significant personnel cuts across multiple federal agencies:

• [01:00] Kate Linebaugh: “Doge is moving fast to cut spending and slash the federal government, shutting down USAID, the CFPB at about 5% of the national Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are being let go. Already more than 200 have been fired from FEMA, around 400 from the Federal Aviation Administration, and more than 1,000 from the Department of Veterans Affairs.”

Seizure of Sensitive Data

Beyond workforce reductions, DOGE has accessed highly sensitive information:

• [08:26] Kate Linebaugh: “They've also effectively shut down some agencies like USAID, and they now have access to highly sensitive data.”

This data includes personal information such as Social Security numbers and healthcare details, raising significant privacy and security concerns.

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Internal and External Reactions

Pushback Within the Cabinet

DOGE's aggressive measures have not gone without resistance. Senior officials from various departments, including the FBI, have expressed discomfort with DOGE's tactics:

• [09:56] Scott Patterson: “…leaders of departments, including the FBI, who told employees not to respond to that [mass email]. … FBI agents or CIA agents or, you know, other people in secrecy agencies saying what they did last week. So that has caused some of the biggest pushback that we've seen so far.”

Elon Musk's Defense and White House Support

In response to criticism, Elon Musk defends DOGE's methods as necessary performance assessments:

• [11:55] Elon Musk: “I think that email perhaps was best interpreted as a performance review, but actually it was a pulse check review. Do you have a pulse? Do you have a pulse and two neurons? So if you have a pulse and two neurons, you can reply to an email.”

President Trump staunchly backs DOGE, ensuring continued support despite growing concerns:

• [13:28] Scott Patterson: “Trump backed Musk's actions, and the White House press secretary said that everyone is working together as one unified team. Any notion to the contrary is false.”

Questioning DOGE's Financial Claims

While DOGE claims substantial savings for the government, investigative reporting by The Wall Street Journal reveals discrepancies:

• [14:26] Scott Patterson: “The Wall Street Journal and other news organizations have shown that a lot of the claims of things and savings that they've accomplished are illusions. …”

DOGE's projected savings figures are significantly inflated, with actual savings far below the announced numbers.

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Legal Challenges and Future Prospects

Judicial Intervention

The episode highlights a pivotal legal decision where a federal judge orders OPM to reverse mass firings deemed illegal:

• [17:06] Kate Linebaugh: “Yesterday, a federal judge ordered OPM to reverse the mass firings of probationary workers across agencies, saying that the terminations were probably illegal.”

Uncertain Future for DOGE

Scott Patterson reflects on the unpredictable trajectory of DOGE:

• [16:23] Scott Patterson: “Nobody that I know of had any idea that Musk was going to do this on such a scale. … It will be interesting to see what happens next. And I will be front seat eating popcorn.”

With DOGE operating beyond traditional corporate structures and interfacing directly with the federal government, its future remains uncertain amidst mounting opposition and legal challenges.

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Conclusion

The Journal provides an in-depth exploration of DOGE's controversial efforts to restructure the federal government. Through meticulous reporting and firsthand accounts, the episode exposes the secretive and aggressive tactics employed by DOGE, the internal resistance within the government, and the dubious validity of its financial claims. As DOGE continues to navigate legal hurdles and public scrutiny, the long-term implications of its campaign on government efficiency and employee welfare remain to be seen.

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Notable Quotes:

• Elon Musk [00:48]: “If we don't do this, America will go bankrupt. That's why it has to be done.”

• Scott Patterson [05:08]: “You know, if your goal was to reduce the size of the federal workforce, there'd be no better place, because that is the human resources army of the federal workforce.”

• Elon Musk [11:55]: “I think that email perhaps was best interpreted as a performance review, but actually it was a pulse check review. Do you have a pulse? Do you have a pulse and two neurons? So if you have a pulse and two neurons, you can reply to an email.”

• Scott Patterson [14:26]: “The Wall Street Journal and other news organizations have shown that a lot of the claims of things and savings that they've accomplished are illusions.”

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Credits:

Additional reporting in this episode by James Benedict, Josh Dawsey, Caitlin Ostroff, Brian Schwartz, and Shane Shiflett. Produced by Kathryn Brewer, Pia Gadkari, Rachel Humphries, Sophie Codner, Ryan Knudson, Matt Kwong, Colin McNulty, Jessica Mendoza, Annie Minoff, Laura Morris, Enrique Perez de la Rosa, Sarah Platt, Alessandra Rizzo, Alan Rodriguez Espinosa, Heather Rogers, Pierce Singhi, Jeevika Verma, Lisa Wang, Catherine Whelan, Tatiana Zemis, and Kate Linebaugh, with help from Trina Menino.

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For more insights on money, business, and power, subscribe to The Journal on Spotify and follow The Wall Street Journal.

Transcript

[Kate Linebaugh]

At President Trump's first Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, there was a familiar face standing up front wearing a black MAGA hat and a T shirt that read Tech Support.

[Elon Musk]

I actually just call myself Humble Tech Support here because this is actually.

[Scott Patterson]

As.

[Elon Musk]

Crazy as it sounds. That is almost a literal description of the work that the Doge team is.

[Kate Linebaugh]

Doing is helping fix the Elon Musk was there to tell the Cabinet about the work that Doge or the so called Department of Government Efficiency has been doing. He said they're helping to fix out of date computer systems as part of his goal to reduce the national deficit.

[Elon Musk]

If we don't do this, America will go bankrupt. That's why it has to be done.

[Kate Linebaugh]

Whether or not that prediction is true, Doge is moving fast to cut spending and slash the federal government, shutting down USAID, the CFPB at about 5% of the national oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are being let go. Already more than 200 have been fired from FEMA, around 400 from the Federal Aviation Administration, and more than 1,000 from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Given all that Doge has done in just a few weeks, the Wall Street Journal wanted to get inside exactly how this new pseudo agency has been operating. And our colleagues found a scorched earth approach that is incredibly secretive, quickly takes control of government data, and that tests the limits of what's legal. Welcome to the Journal, our show about money and power. I'm Kate LINEBAUGH. It's Friday, February 28th. Coming up on the show, behind the scenes of Doge's campaign to gut the federal government.

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[Scott Patterson]

My reporting shows that at 12:01pm on January 20th, the day that Trump was inaugurated, there were some people from DOGE arriving at this obscure agency called the Office of Personnel Management.

[Kate Linebaugh]

Our colleague Scott Patterson has been trying to understand how DOGE is operating. To do this, Scott and his team spoke to over two dozen current and former government employees, as well as senior officials with the Trump administration. And what they found was that on Inauguration Day, as Trump was being sworn in, Musk's team was already inside the Office of Personnel Management.

[Scott Patterson]

They were at OPM demanding access to computer systems. They meet some resistance by people who don't know or believe that they have this authorization, but they very quickly get it. And within about a half an hour, they are in the OPM systems and pretty quickly able to access a large amount of information that's in those systems.

[Kate Linebaugh]

And who is them? Like, who are the people who are carrying out this work?

[Scott Patterson]

They're generally young men. It's a bunch of young computer programmers, many of whom had worked at Musk companies like internships at Space, SpaceX or Tesla or Neuralink.

[Kate Linebaugh]

Why was OPM the first agency that the dozers wanted access to?

[Scott Patterson]

You know, if your goal was to reduce the size of the federal workforce, there'd be no better place, because that is the human resources army of the federal workforce.

[Kate Linebaugh]

And once they were in there, what did they do?

[Scott Patterson]

Their first project was putting together this mass email system. And, you know, I was told that some of these people, even before the inauguration, had met with people at OPM and asked about this. They asked, do you have a system where you can email the entire federal workforce?

[Kate Linebaugh]

The ultimate modern power, a mass email?

[Scott Patterson]

Yeah. Yeah. 2.3 million people.

[Kate Linebaugh]

A few days later, Doge put that very powerful tool to work. It sent out a test email intended to hit every single employee in the federal government. Days later, another email went out, this time with a choice. Quit your job and get eight months of paid leave, or keep your job, but risk being fired.

[Scott Patterson]

That's why they went to opm, was to use it as a sort of cudgel against the federal workforce, to try to reduce the size of it, to get people to quit and to ultimately fire people as well.

[Kate Linebaugh]

How did they do it?

[Scott Patterson]

The way they operate is they insulate themselves from the career staff. And so at opm, they set up shop on the Fifth floor of the building where the senior leadership works and have kind of closed themselves off from, you know, the rest of the career staff, many of whom they move to another floor. I was told that there's guards in that room and they have printouts of the faces of people who are approved to be able to interact with them. They typically remove access to the computer systems from a lot of the career staff, so they can't even get in and do their work anymore.

[Kate Linebaugh]

At one point, according to Scott's reporting, a Doge programmer took control of OPM's website, taking down its diversity, equity and inclusion pages. And sources told Scott that in video chats with OPM staff, the Doziers sometimes keep their cameras turned off. We reached out to the White House about this, and an administration official said DOGE operates in secrecy partially because they know federal employees are opposed to their efforts and would want to thwart them. There are also safety concerns because the White House says that DOGE employees are receiving threats. DOGE has been using similar tactics at other agencies.

[Scott Patterson]

You know, they do have a playbook. I've talked to people in multiple agencies, and they come in sort of guns blazing, very aggressive. They demand access to these computer systems. You know, at first they get so called read only access where they can look at things, but then they just push it and push it and push it until they have full, what's called administrative access.

[Kate Linebaugh]

So far, Doziers have burrowed into systems all across the government, including the Treasury Department, the irs, and the agency that oversees Medicare and Medicaid. They've also effectively shut down some agencies like usaid, and they now have access to highly sensitive data.

[Scott Patterson]

And that kind of took people aback because it's got all of this information about the US Federal workforce inside those computers. You know, sensitive information, information about their health care, their Social Security numbers, their families, all sorts of things. And that's very tightly guarded information.

[Kate Linebaugh]

A White House spokesman said doge, quote, has fully integrated into the federal government to cut waste, fraud and abuse. He also said they will continue to do so and that many inside the government needed to get with the program. And last weekend, Doziers once again picked up their favorite tool and sent out another mass email with the subject line, what did you do last week? The email asked all federal workers to reply with the list of five accomplishments from their week. In a tweet, Musk said that failure to respond will be taken as a resignation. For some in the government, this was one step too far.

[Scott Patterson]

We did start to see some pushback within the Trump Cabinet. So there were some, you know, leaders of departments, you know, including the FBI, who told employees not to respond to that. And it's kind of easy to see why, because you don't want, you know, FBI agents or CIA agents or, you know, other people in secrecy agencies saying what they did last week. So that has caused some of the biggest pushback that we've seen so far.

[Kate Linebaugh]

How Musk responded to that pushback is coming up after this break.

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[Kate Linebaugh]

On Wednesday, Trump convened his first cabinet meeting. Reporters were there, Elon Musk was there, and that five point email came up.

[Elon Musk]

I think that email perhaps was best interpreted as a performance review, but actually it was a pulse check review. Do you have a pulse? Do you have a pulse and two neurons? So if you have a pulse and two neurons, you can reply to an email.

[Kate Linebaugh]

The question came after reports that some Cabinet officials had complained to the White House about the suddenness of Doge's moves, including unannounced incursions onto their turf. And some of Musk's tweets.

[Scott Patterson]

You know, Susie Wiles, the chief of staff of the White House, has pretty recently asked Elon to provide updates on what their plans are several times a week. And this is because they've been caught by surprise by some of the things that Doge is doing either at the agencies or, you know, with the emails. And I think they, they want to have a little bit more preparation, you know, to be able to respond to these things. And maybe you know, talk them down a little bit from some of the more extreme plans that they may have. And I think that, you know, she's also just. Elon is seen as a wild card. They don't know what he's going to do next. It could be anything.

[Kate Linebaugh]

Another reporter questioned how the Cabinet was feeling about Doge's actions.

[Elon Musk]

You had heard anything about members of the Cabinet who weren't happy with the way things were going, and if so, what are you doing to address those? Any dissatisfaction?

[Kate Linebaugh]

And Trump immediately jumped in.

[Scott Patterson]

Let the Cabinet speak just for a second.

[Kate Linebaugh]

Is anybody unhappy with the. If you are wealthy, throw them out of here. Trump backed Musk's actions, and the White House press secretary said that everyone is working together as one unified team. Quote, any notion to the contrary is false. Trump's support means Doge will keep moving forward with slashing government spending. So far, Doge claims it's already saved the government billions. Government efficiency says it has saved tens of billions of dollars. 50 billion, $55 billion, $65 billion in savings. Doge now says it's saving the government $65 billion. But a wall Street Journal analysis found Doge's claims are overstated.

[Scott Patterson]

The Wall Street Journal and other news organizations have shown that a lot of the claims of things and savings that they've accomplished are illusions. Often contracts that didn't even exist, or multiple contracts, or claiming billions of dollars in savings when actually it was a couple million in one case. So that part, which is kind of what they claim to be their number one goal, has so far been pretty much a flop.

[Kate Linebaugh]

Doge says it's canceled $7 billion in contracts, but the Journal analysis projects that number is closer to 2.6 billion. In part, that's because a lot of those contracts have already been paid. So canceling them doesn't save any money. When we first started hearing about this effort, this Doge effort, Musk was saying he wanted to save $2 trillion. How close do you think Doge will get to that?

[Scott Patterson]

2 trillion is not going to happen. You would have to eliminate a large part of the US Military or major welfare programs, Medicaid, Medicare. And anyway, that was never realistic. To achieve savings like that, you would have to have an act of Congress, and Congress is doing that. They're putting a budget together. They say they will make major cuts to big programs, including Medicaid, but they're actually still, because they have massive tax cuts, they don't have enough cuts to equal out the amount that they're going to lose from tax cuts. And Musk initially said 2 trillion. He dialed that back to 1 trillion. That's still totally unrealistic.

[Kate Linebaugh]

What's next for Doge?

[Scott Patterson]

I, you know, I don't think there's any way we can know. I think they've surprised us from the jump. Nobody that I know of had any idea that Musk was going to do this on such a scale. And when you own a company, if it fails, he loses his money, he goes home. You know, it's his problem. This is a different animal he's dealing with right now, the entire American federal government. So without a doubt, it will be interesting to see what happens next. And I will be front seat eating popcorn.

[Kate Linebaugh]

And we'll have you back to tell us about it.

[Scott Patterson]

Happy to come back.

[Kate Linebaugh]

Yesterday, a federal judge ordered OPM to reverse the mass firings of probationary workers across agencies, saying that the terminations were probably illegal. That's all for today. Friday, February 28th. Additional reporting in this episode by James Benedict, Josh Dawsey, Caitlin Ostroff, Brian Schwartz and Shane Shiflett. The Journal is a co production of Spotify and the Wall Street Journal. The show is made by Kathryn Brewer, Pia Gadkari, Rachel Humphries, Sophie Codner, Ryan Knudson, Matt Kwong, Colin McNulty, Jessica Mendoza, Annie Minoff, Laura Morris, Enrique Perez de la Rosa, Sarah Platt, Alessandra Rizzo, Alan Rodriguez Espinosa, Heather Rogers, Pierce Singhi, Jeevika Verma, Lisa Wang, Catherine Whelan, Tatiana Zemis and me, Kate Linebaugh, with help from Trina Menino. Our engineers are Griffin Tanner, Nathan Singapak and Peter Leonard. Our theme music is by so Wiley. Additional music this week from Bobby Lord, Emma Munger, Griffin Tanner and Blue Dot Sessions. Fact checking by Kate Gallagher and Mary Mathis. Thanks for listening. See you Monday.