The Silicon Valley mindset has swept through Washington, DC.
The pace stands out, even for a president whose promises of swift action were central to his campaign.
“It’s going to happen a lot faster than that.”
Onefederal workertold Business Insider that the flurry of action might be the entire point.
“What initially alarmed me is how fast everything is moving and changing.”
If theTrump administrationhas worked swiftly, the courts have not.
And it comes amid a looming February 6 deadline to take a “deferred resignation” offer.
Here’s how the first 17 days of Trump and Musk’s clash with the federal workforce played out.
This year, on the day of his second, he signed 26.
One executive order brought DOGE, Musk’s government disruption squad, inside the White House.
The initial order seemed to suggest DOGE would lead a “software modernization initiative.”
It soon became reset the Musk-led outfit would exert its influence over a raft of federal agencies.
Within minutes of Trump’s swearing in, lawsuits against DOGE began trickling in.
(A spokesperson for OPM referred BI to past statements and declined to comment.)
One told BI it felt like “a hostile takeover.”
Publicly, DOGE was busy posting on X about the high cost ofminting pennies.
One longtime federal worker said their DEI team was “shut down within days.”
DOGE also began eyeing other places to cut costs, includinga new embassy in South Sudan.
(“Unoccupied buildings” were said to be part of the “initial focus.")
Based on someback-of-the-envelope math, that number put DOGE way behind schedule.
“I feel like that’s where we’re heading,” she said.
The software asked candidates to provide two to three bullet points “showcasing exceptional ability.”
BI has not been able to verify any of the claims about the value of canceled contracts.
Meanwhile, the State Department said it was pausing all US foreign assistance funded via USAID amid a review.
DOGE alsoreportedthat GSA had repealed three internal DEIA policies and eliminated public-facing websites and language centered on DEIA.
In response to the news that USAID officials had been placed on leave, Musk postedtwo gun emojis.
The federal funding pauseblindsidedfederal workers.
Federal agencies and nonprofits were left scrambling to figure out what came next.
ET, roughly 24 hours after it the memo was first sent out.
Workers said they were shocked andsuspicious about the offer, though some seemed intrigued by it.
“However, when I received this email at 5:35 p.m. EST, that hope disappeared.”
“People filed into the hallways, immediately on the phone, sending emails, discussing their confusion.”
DOGE continued to use X as its press room,postingabout doubling federally pumped water in Southern California.
The White House, though, argued that only the memo was rescinded, not the freeze itself.
(The FAQ was later updated with strong encouragement tojoin the private sector.)
DOGE also touted new savings:canceling$45 million for DEI scholarships in Burma.
In total, it said,85 DEIA contractshad been canceled.
DOGE, meanwhile,posteda spreadsheet outlining canceled contracts and their subsequent savings, totaling almost $1.3 billion.
At midnight,he held the X livestream with Sen. Joni Ernst.
“It’s got to go.
It’s beyond repair,” he added.
Lease terminations increased to 22 over six days,DOGE said, saving $44.6 million.
DOGE didn’t forget about pennies, but an unidentified DOGE spokespersonpassed the buck to the Treasury.
Sen. Elizabeth Warrensaidthe response “raises more questions than answers.”
A union lawsuit alleged thatTreasury Secretary Scott Bessentviolated federal law by sharing Treasury data with DOGE.
“They are like time-share salesmen trying to meet a quota and failing!”
another federal worker said.
Democrats in Congress continued to sound the alarm.
Alice Tecotzky, Ayelet Sheffey, and Noah Sheidlower contributed reporting.
Reach Jack Newsham via email (jnewsham@businessinsider.com) or via Signal (+1-314-971-1627).
Do not use a work gadget.
