1000 civil servants tremble

Starting signal for Elon Musk’s “DOGE” efficiency office

Tech mogul Elon Musk, known for his flashy appearances and the richest man in the world, became Trump's most important supporter during the US election campaign. Now he is to identify potential savings in the US civil service.

(Bild: AP ( via APA) Austria Presse Agentur/Associated Press)

US President Donald Trump has announced the dismissal of over 1,000 government employees appointed by former President Joe Biden. His team is working to identify people who do not agree with his vision of making America great again, Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

Speaking to journalists at the White House, Trump said that Musk would be given an office for around 20 employees to implement the plans. As expected, the body will be called the Department of Government Efficiency - the abbreviation "DOGE" corresponds to the name of a fun digital currency popularized by Musk.

Drastic cuts to be expected
In recent months, Musk has held out the prospect of drastic cuts to the state apparatus. It remains to be seen what his actual status will be: As an active company, he cannot simply also be a civil servant. It was expected that he would make proposals. Trump's order stated that US authorities would each have to provide four employees as a "DOGE team" to work with the savings committee.

Exit of Vivek Ramaswamy
Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy is no longer on board with DOGE. "Vivek Ramaswamy has played a crucial role in the development of DOGE. He intends to run for public office soon, which under the structure announced today means he can no longer remain part of DOGE," said Trump spokeswoman Anna Kelly.

DOGE is not officially part of the government, but has a close connection to it through its job description. According to media reports, Ramaswamy is planning to run for governor of Ohio.

Recalcitrant top general dismissed
Among the government employees dismissed by Trump is Mark Milley, who until recently was the Chief of Staff of the armed forces. President Biden had pardoned Milley and others shortly before Trump's inauguration as a precautionary measure to prevent any retaliatory measures by his successor. The former Chief of Staff - including Trump's - came into the political spotlight on several occasions - particularly when he testified before the committee on the Capitol storm.

US General Mark Milley had doubts about the president's state of mind during Trump's first term.

(Bild: AFP/Brendan Smialowski)

In an extraordinary political statement together with colleagues from the US military leadership, Milley also condemned the events of the day. Milley is also said to have made secret arrangements to limit Trump's lawful authority over nuclear weapons after the storming of the Capitol. After Trump's election defeat against Biden in 2020, Trump supporters stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021, killing four people in the riot.