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, according to the Associated Press.
The 21 staffers, including engineers, data scientists and product managers, reportedly 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 the AP. “We will not lend our expertise to carry out or legitimize DOGE’s actions.”
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.”
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The reported 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.
Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has made strides to slash the federal government workforce. (Jose Luis Magana)
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.
“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…
