Elon Musk's DOGE accidentally fires experts overseeing nuclear stockpile in major blunder; ‘Congress is freaking out’
Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) allegedly committed a huge error in firing several top nuclear experts, raising security concerns.
Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) allegedly committed a huge error in firing several top nuclear experts, raising security concerns and posing challenges for the National Nuclear Safety Administration (NNSA) to rehire them.
According to sources who spoke to CNN, the DOGE personnel did not know during the firing of staffers that the organization is in charge of America's nuclear weapons arsenal. CNN stated that the terminations were swiftly revoked on Friday.
In addition to developing and overseeing the country's nuclear weapons, NNSA personnel are also in charge of manufacturing and dismantling them, supplying the Navy with nuclear reactors for submarines, and handling nuclear emergencies. Additionally, the agency is essential to the nation's nuclear weapons transportation and counterterrorism efforts.
Specialists at NNSA headquarters also draft specifications and policies for nuclear weapons contractors.
Is Congress freaking out?
According to sources who spoke to Bloomberg, the NNSA is now attempting to recall the employees given that they handle confidential national security information.
The Musk department terminated up to 400 NNSA employees as “no one” had “taken any time to understand what we do and the importance of our work to the nation's national security,” one insider stated.
Speaking to CNN, one source claimed that “Congress is freaking out” because it looks like “DOGE didn't really realize NNSA oversees the nuclear stockpile.”
“The nuclear deterrent is the backbone of American security and stability – period. For there to be any even very small holes poked even in the maintenance of that deterrent should be extremely frightening to people,” the insider added.
Energy Department spokesperson speaks out
Meanwhile, a Energy Department spokesperson told CNN that roughly 50 NNSA employees were terminated and most of them were hired at "administrative" posts.
During the presidency of Joe Biden, Jill Hruby was the head of the National Security Agency. She told Bloomberg that the cuts are especially worrying since the posts usually demand high-level security clearances and at least 18 months of intensive training.
She is certain that these individuals will probably “never” return to work for the government, Hruby stated, adding that the indiscriminate layoffs will be quite challenging in the upcoming years.
Mayhem created by Musk's DOGE
Disruption has accompanied Musk's massive layoffs of federal employees. He has a youthful team of techies with limited professional expertise.
During a Virginia town hall meeting last month, a federal employee voiced dissatisfaction with veteran personnel at various agencies receiving 15-minute sessions to defend their positions to “19-, 20-, and 21-year-olds.” One of Musk's employees is a recent high school graduate and college dropout who lost his internship after disclosing confidential data to an adversary firm.