Billionaire Elon Musk made an appearance at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) on Friday, sources confirmed to Nextgov/FCW. Musk is heading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a division created by the Trump administration to streamline federal operations, cut costs, and reduce bureaucracy.Although Musk’s specific role and the structure of the DOGE remain unclear, these details are expected to have significant implications for ethics and transparency. Both the White House and opm have declined to comment on Musk’s official capacity or the operational framework of the new department.Last week, the White House established the DOGE within the U.S. Digital Service (USDS). The DOGE is tasked with advancing President Trump’s efficiency agenda by modernizing federal technology and streamlining operations. Following its formation, the DOGE began re-evaluating USDS employees to determine assignments and workforce needs.Despite the department’s tech-driven mission, working closely with OPM could be critical if its focus on federal workforce reforms remains a priority. In a November op-ed co-written with Vivek Ramaswamy, Musk pledged to implement "significant headcount reductions across federal agencies."Executive Orders Signal Major Workforce Changes
President Trump recently signed an executive order directing the DOGE, in collaboration with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and OPM, to draft a plan for reducing the federal workforce through efficiency improvements and natural attrition. The DOGE also plays a key role in Trump’s plan to reform federal hiring processes, as highlighted in another executive order.Scott Kupor, Trump’s nominee to lead OPM, publicly expressed gratitude on X, formerly Twitter, for the opportunity to assist the DOGE in making federal efficiency a cornerstone of government operations. Kupor, a former partner at venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, joins several Trump appointees with connections to Musk’s ventures and Silicon Valley.Amanda Scales, a former executive at Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI, is now serving as OPM’s chief of staff. She has been a point of contact for OPM initiatives since Trump assumed office, as reported by GovExec.Meanwhile, Charles Ezell, OPM’s branch chief for data and analytics, is serving as the agency’s acting head while awaiting permanent leadership. OPM has already experienced leadership turnover under the Trump administration, including the reassignment of its chief information officer within the administration’s first week.
President Trump recently signed an executive order directing the DOGE, in collaboration with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and OPM, to draft a plan for reducing the federal workforce through efficiency improvements and natural attrition. The DOGE also plays a key role in Trump’s plan to reform federal hiring processes, as highlighted in another executive order.Scott Kupor, Trump’s nominee to lead OPM, publicly expressed gratitude on X, formerly Twitter, for the opportunity to assist the DOGE in making federal efficiency a cornerstone of government operations. Kupor, a former partner at venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, joins several Trump appointees with connections to Musk’s ventures and Silicon Valley.Amanda Scales, a former executive at Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI, is now serving as OPM’s chief of staff. She has been a point of contact for OPM initiatives since Trump assumed office, as reported by GovExec.Meanwhile, Charles Ezell, OPM’s branch chief for data and analytics, is serving as the agency’s acting head while awaiting permanent leadership. OPM has already experienced leadership turnover under the Trump administration, including the reassignment of its chief information officer within the administration’s first week.
