--- title: "White House Realizing That Elon Musk’s Incompetence Caused Huge Problems for the Government" description: "Elon Musk and DOGE moved fast and broke things in Washington — and now Donald Trump's administration is left to clean up the mess." date: "2025-06-07" modified: "2025-06-07" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/white-house-elon-doge-incompetence" categories: - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "doge" - "donald trump" - "elon musk" - "politics" --- # White House Realizing That Elon Musk’s Incompetence Caused Huge Problems for the Government ![Elon Musk and DOGE moved fast and broke things in Washington — and now Donald Trump's administration is left to clean up the mess.]() *\Image: Tom Brenner For The Washington Post / Getty / Futurism\* Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) moved fast and broke things in Washington — and now Donald Trump's administration is left to clean up the mess. As the [*Washington Post* reports](), federal employees who were fired rapidly by DOGE cuts are now being rehired to their old positions or asked to join different departments amid Musk's departure from government. From the Food and Drug Administration to the Department of Housing and Urban Development to at least six other agencies, workers fired during the unelected billionaire's federal firing frenzy are being asked by officials from Donald Trump's administration to come back to work — but not everyone is interested in returning. Workers of retirement age who were fired during DOGE's halcyon days have been reluctant to come back on board, leading the Trump administration to find workarounds to refill so many necessary positions. Folks who worked at the US Agency for International Development before it was kiboshed early in Musk's reign of terror were asked, for instance, if they wanted to come back to the government and work at the State Department. "I was like, well, I definitely don’t want to work for this administration, but, yes, I need a job, so put my name down," one former USAID worker told the newspaper. "Why not? I have nothing to lose." Over at the FDA, where [at least 3,500 people]() lost their jobs as DOGE set its sights on the body that governs our food and drug safety, the vibes were somehow even worse. "They wanted to show they were gutting the government, but there was no thought about what parts might be worth keeping," explained one fired and rehired FDA staffer. "Now it feels like it was all just a game to them." Others still have returned only because they haven't yet found alternative employment. Another FDA employee who had been fired under DOGE's mandate was informed that she was expected to go back to work — and begrudgingly, she complied. "Being back feels like a funeral," the second FDA worker said. "Morale is terrible. Everyone is stressed and feels the absence of our colleagues." "I’m looking for another job," she added. As federal employees return in fits and starts, [*ABC* reports]() that DOGE staffers themselves are now worried about their futures as their departed leader feuds with the president — a laughable concern, given that they signed up to do such dirty work. **More on Elon and Trump:** [*Elon Musk's "Hubris and Arrogance" Are Ruining Our Chances of Actually Getting to Mars, Says Leading Expert*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()