Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has begun to reach across multiple federal agencies in recent weeks, tackling outdated systems and bureaucratic resistance in its mission to eliminate waste and fraud in the U.S. federal government.
On Monday, the DOGE team scored another win — control of a $500 million federal building from the U.S. Institute of Peace, which had filed lawsuits to stop restructuring.
“The reason we’re doing this is because if we don’t do this, America is going to go… bankrupt,” billionaire tech leader Elon Musk told Fox News’ Brett Baier during a recent interview.
On March 14, the Trump administration fired the United States Institute of Peace’s 10 voting board members after alleged non-compliance with an executive order to reduce its size.
Former State Department official Kenneth Jackson was installed as USIP president, later replaced by DOGE staffer Nate Cavanaugh.
When USIP staffers denied DOGE team members access to their headquarters, the team returned with a key from a former security contractor. The standoff escalated when former USIP president George Moose refused to vacate the building.
“Our statute is very clear about the status of this building and this institute,” Moose told reporters. “So what has happened here today is an illegal takeover by elements of the executive branch of a private nonprofit corporation.”
Police were called to intervene, and Jackson eventually gained access to the building. Most USIP staffers received termination notices by last Friday. On Wednesday, DOGE had gained full control of the building.
“Rogue bureaucrats will not be allowed to hold agencies hostage,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told Fox News. “The Trump administration will enforce the president’s executive authority and ensure his agencies remain accountable to the American people.”
The $500 million USIP headquarters building has since been transferred to the General Services Administration at no cost, a move GSA’s Michael Peters described as “a priority of the Trump-Vance administration” that will “enable GSA to fulfill other governmental space requirements… in a cost-effective manner.”
Similar confrontations have occurred at other agencies, including the U.S. African Development Foundation, where U.S. Marshals accompanied DOGE team members after being initially denied entry.
Despite the controversies, DOGE team members remain focused on their efficiency mission.
As Steve Davis, DOGE’s head of operations, explained: “To have the country going bankrupt would be a very bad thing. We’ve put our lives on hold because we believe there is a chance to succeed.”
Joe Gebbia, DOGE member and co-founder of Airbnb, described DOGE’s work as modernizing the federal government.
“I loved the challenge, so I jumped on board,” Gebbia said. “We’re taking the best of Silicon Valley and the business world and bringing it into the government… I’m here because it’s an interesting problem. We can use design and good engineering to solve it and really create a better experience for everybody.”