In an effort to cut costs for the US government, Elon Musk’s DOGE officials have been looking into the Department of Defense for areas they deem fit for a budget trim. The task force’s efforts are currently focused on terminating the roles of probationary federal employees.
In response to the latest developments in DOGE’s new focus area, Jesse Watters, who had previously praised DOGE’s work, made a public appeal to Elon Musk not to put army veterans out of work.
The Department of Government Efficiency has been implementing aggressive strategies to reduce the government’s spending and it has led to significant destabilization of operations and laid off employees across several federal agencies.
The department has been collecting lists of probationary employees at the Pentagon, pushing people like Jesse Watters to speak on behalf of military veterans.
War veterans face a different threat at home
After facing and surviving hellish battlefields, military veterans are now facing the new threat of cost-cutting layoffs.
The Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk, aims to slash $1T in federal spending by July 2026. A significant portion of these cost slashes have targeted probationary employees.
Probationary employees are individuals who have not yet completed their initial period of federal service. This group of individuals includes military veterans who are attempting to start their second careers within federal agencies.
Jesse Watters, who previously applauded the work of the DOGE, calling Elon Musk “a corporate turnaround artist” made a heartfelt appeal on Wednesday’s episode of “The Five” asking Elon Musk and DOGE officials to rethink their strategy.
The Fox News host apparently made the plea because of a close friend. Watters claimed his friend is a decorated 20-year military veteran who recently joined the Pentagon and is now at risk of losing his job and chance at a federal position. Watters especially highlighted the injustice of the Musk-led team’s strategy, stating in his argument that veterans who have “put their lives on the line” should not be the first to face layoffs.
Business Insider reports that many military veterans like Watters’ friend are feeling confused, desperate, and terrified at the possibility of being affected by the DOGE budget cuts.
DOGE strategies continue to make headlines
While the objective of DOGE is to eliminate wasteful spending and enhance governmental efficiency, its methods seem to lack nuance.
According to a post on DOGE’s X account, the agency’s officials have been looking into the Department of Defense for areas where they can “save taxpayer dollars and eliminate waste, fraud and abuse,” but targeting probationary employees fails to consider individual contributions and the responsibility of the government toward its veterans.
“This guy is not a DEI consultant. This guy is not a climate consultant. This guy is a veteran. So when you’re talking about DOGE-ing people, veterans should get priority. Because if you’re going to go out there and kill enemies, put your life on the line for this country, you shouldn’t be in the same category as people that are doing DEI,” Watters said.
Thousands of federal workers employed in probationary roles in federal agencies such as the Forest Service, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Education, and many others have been let go.
Layoffs are not all the Department of Government Efficiency has up its sleeves. There have been discussions about reallocating a portion of the savings achieved by DOGE. James Fishback proposed issuing $5,000 checks to Americans as dividends from the cost-cutting measures. Elon Musk acknowledged the proposal, indicating he would discuss it with President Trump. However, whether or not the proposal will be approved is left to be seen as it could face pushback from lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
