Bloomberg: Elon Musk’s DOGE eyes Pentagon overhaul, staffing cuts in the works

The Pentagon is preparing to send a list of probationary staff members for potential termination to officials from the Trump administration.

Sources familiar with the process told Bloomberg that the list, submitted on February 18, could lead to federal employee cuts, but it remains unclear whether all the names will be let go or just a smaller group, per Caliber.Az.

Military staff responsible for compiling the list were also asked to provide justifications for employees they believed should be exempted from termination. Notably, the list only includes civilian employees, with active-duty military personnel excluded from the cuts.

President Donald Trump has emphasized that the Department of Defence (DoD) will be a major target in the ongoing efforts led by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk’s department has been tasked with reducing federal staff across the government, eliminating wasteful contracts, and finding other inefficiencies to address.

Probationary employees — those in their first year or two of service — have become the focus of cuts in many federal agencies, given that they lack the same job protections as long-term employees. These staff reductions are in line with Trump’s broader efforts to streamline the government workforce.

The Pentagon declined to comment on the ongoing process, while the White House and the Office of Personnel Management did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has signalled that the Pentagon is eager to collaborate with Musk’s team, stating earlier this month, “We welcome DOGE to the Pentagon.” Hegseth is also pursuing plans to reduce projected military spending over the next five years, reallocating those funds to defence priorities that align with the Trump administration’s vision, according to reports from Bloomberg News.

Trump has expressed his desire to increase short-term military spending but has also questioned the long-term cost of certain defence programs. In an interview with Fox News, he argued that it was “crazy” to spend significant amounts of money on certain weapon systems that may never be used.

Musk’s involvement in auditing Pentagon expenses has raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest. His company, SpaceX, has received billions in federal contracts, including from the DoD in recent years. Military spending constitutes nearly half of the U.S.'s $1.8 trillion discretionary spending for fiscal year 2024, making it a key target for any cuts.

Reducing defence spending and personnel could spark a political firestorm on Capitol Hill, where many Republicans are calling for increased military budgets. The Pentagon’s vast network of military bases and facilities across the country has historically made any suggestion of cuts highly contentious, with members of Congress often defending their home districts.

In a related development, a federal judge ruled earlier on February 18 to deny a request from Democratic state attorneys general to temporarily block DOGE teams from accessing internal systems and removing employees from federal agencies. The ruling handed a victory to Trump and his initiative to reshape the federal workforce.

The decision rejected claims from the attorneys general that Musk’s efforts are undermining the power of Senate-confirmed officials, as he moves forward with his sweeping changes to U.S. government operations.

By Tamilla Hasanova