Chaos and consequences in Trump’s government-wide digital overhaul

In a sweeping campaign to slash the federal workforce and reconfigure the technology infrastructure of the U.S. government, the Trump administration – working in tandem with Elon Musk’s controversial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) – has begun the systematic dismantling of the General Services Administration’s (GSA) Technology Transformation Services (TTS). The latest round of cuts, which includes the near-total elimination of 18F, a once-celebrated government tech consultancy, signals a dramatic pivot in federal digital strategy, one that many experts warn may weaken core services, delay critical IT deployments, and expose agencies to security and fraud risks.

The ax fell with force in early this month when GSA began issuing reduction-in-force notices to staff across its technology units. These moves followed a warning issued in early March by TSS Director Thomas Shedd that the workforce would be cut in half. Shedd confirmed in an email to staff that intention letters had begun circulating. Many of those impacted belong to the Integrated Award Environment, the Office of Regulatory and Oversight Systems, and the Office of Solutions, including teams managing platforms, services, public experience, and front-office support.

The rationale for the cuts is rooted in a broader effort to shrink the federal government’s footprint. According to reports from Federal News Network and NPR, the Trump administration seeks to halve the agency’s total budget and reorganize its internal technology functions to better align with what it deems “core priorities.” But those affected – estimated internally to number at least 200 – argue that the administration is undermining essential services and hollowing out high-performing teams that have long supported the digital backbone of federal agencies.

Indeed, GSA’s TTS teams have built and maintained mission-critical tools used across the federal government. One employee, speaking anonymously to Nextgov/FCW, warned that losing 100 TTS staffers could jeopardize services relied upon by “hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of citizens.” The atmosphere within the agency has become grim, exacerbated by abrupt terminations including the dismissal of probationary employees and the issuance of second deferred resignation offers with a deadline of April 18.

Nowhere is the impact more deeply felt than in the sudden and dramatic erasure of 18F, the pioneering digital consultancy formed in 2014 to help federal agencies build modern, user-focused digital services. The unit, known for crafting innovative solutions such as IRS Direct File and the redesign of the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division’s complaint system, operated as a cost-recoverable office funded through reimbursable contracts. In the early hours of a Saturday morning, 70 of its staff learned via an internal memo obtained by Politico that their employment had been terminated as part of a DOGE-directed campaign to downsize what Musk and Trump allies consider bloated or ideologically adversarial agencies.

For Musk and DOGE, 18F’s demise was political as much as operational. Musk had publicly labeled the group “far left” and accused it of “viciously subverting Trump during his first term.” ,” Musk tweeted in February, “That group has been deleted.” Former employees alleged they were locked out of work systems without notice, unable to transition their projects and left without information on how to return their equipment. The same chaotic, opaque process befell the U.S. Digital Service (USDS), which was gutted and rebranded as the U.S. DOGE Service. Forty employees were laid off and 21 resigned in protest.

While Trump and Musk’s allies have claimed the downsizing campaign is about fighting inefficiency and rooting out fraud, critics see a different agenda. Shedd, who has referred to TTS’s technical acumen as “essential” to GSA, insists that the agency is retaining its highest-priority projects, including Login.gov, Cloud.gov, and FedRAMP. These are the only programs explicitly preserved under the new framework, which emphasizes services mandated by statute or those deemed “critical” to agency operations.

Yet the future of Login.gov, which is one of the government’s most visible digital identity platforms, is uncertain. Originally developed with the support of 18F, Login.gov enables over 100 million Americans to securely access services such as Medicare, Social Security, and unemployment insurance. As private identity providers like ID.me continue to lobby for dominance in this lucrative space, Login.gov represents a rare attempt by the federal government to retain control over citizen verification in-house.

Still, Login.gov has drawn its own share of controversy. A 2023 GSA watchdog report revealed that the agency misled other federal agencies about the platform’s compliance with identity proofing standards set by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Over $10 million in services were billed based on inaccurate representations of its capabilities. The resulting fallout has sparked internal debate about whether the service should continue. Emily Murphy, Trump’s first-term GSA chief, cited the audit in a January op-ed urging GSA to sunset Login.gov altogether, labeling it “redundant, over-budget, and behind schedule.”

At the same time, Shedd has doubled down on Login.gov’s future. In a message to partner agencies, he stated that the service is “a critical part of Government-wide efforts to promote efficiency and fight fraud.” He outlined plans to expand its roadmap, including support for mobile driver’s licenses and the integration of face biometrics. In October Login.gov was certified for compliance to the federal government’s standard for high assurance identity proofing and its new identity proofing service includes liveness detection, and is compliant with Identity Assurance Level 2 (IAL2), as defined in NIST SP 800-63.

Critics, however, warn that this use of personal data to detect fraud may be legally dubious, with at least one GSA employee claiming Shedd’s plans “cross legal lines.”

DOGE’s rapid dismantling of key agencies has prompted fears of cascading effects on cybersecurity, program integrity, and public trust. At the US Digital Service, former staffers have expressed alarm that DOGE engineers are accessing sensitive systems without proper clearance. Vivian Graubard, one of USDS’s founding members, publicly raised concerns that shortcuts in vetting processes may leave agencies vulnerable to insider threats or system compromise. Others fear the long-term hollowing out of institutional knowledge, which could create opportunities for private-sector contractors to monopolize future federal IT development.

Don Moynihan, a public policy professor at the University of Michigan, likened DOGE’s actions to those of a “wrecking crew,” arguing that these moves are likely paving the way for ideologically aligned Silicon Valley vendors to replace public servants. In his view, the goal is not reform, but rather reallocation. Dismantle government capacity, then privatize the services and reassemble them under a profit motive.

Amid the turmoil, some are searching for opportunity. Billionaire Mark Cuban, reacting to the overnight firing of 18F staff, posted on Bluesky that displaced workers should consider forming their own consultancy. “It’s just a matter of time before DOGE needs you to fix the mess they inevitably created,” he wrote. “I’m happy to invest and/or help.” Cuban’s call resonated among the tech community, with one user even suggesting a defiant name for the new venture: “18FU.”

Whether Cuban’s vision becomes reality remains to be seen, but the sentiment underscores a broader truth: civic technologists who built their careers around the mission of public service are not ready to walk away. A statement issued by the now-dispersed 18F team declared, “We aren’t done yet.” These are individuals who designed systems to streamline government, save taxpayer money, and make public services more accessible. The sudden elimination of their roles leaves a hole that private contractors may rush to fill, but it also leaves a cohort of experienced professionals who know the inner workings of the digital state, and who may, in time, find themselves indispensable once again.

As the Trump administration continues its campaign to downsize the federal government under the banner of efficiency, the real legacy may be one of fragmentation, confusion, and weakened institutional resilience. The agencies being dismantled were imperfect, but they were functional. They developed critical infrastructure that citizens and civil servants alike depended on. And as with so many ideological purges, the cost of destruction is rarely measured until it’s too late.

Article Topics

digital government  |  digital identity  |  DOGE  |  GSA  |  identity verification  |  Login.gov  |  U.S. Government  |  United States