Former Social Security Administration Commissioner Martin O’Malley slammed employees at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for sweeping budget cuts and recent attempts at probes of federal agencies in an effort to reform executive spending.
“There is abuse going on, and it’s all been committed by the 19-year-old nitwits at DOGE who are empowered by the co-presidents Elon Musk and Donald Trump,” O’Malley, a recent contender for chair of the Democratic National Committee, said during a Tuesday appearance on CNN.
Musk has faced backlash for his role in the new agency, lauding cuts and employee dismissals in recent social media posts. The White House clarified on Monday that the tech giant is not a part of DOGE but a senior adviser to the president.
In the first month of Trump’s second term, DOGE staff, some of whom are college-age, have gained access to sensitive data in several departments, raising privacy concerns, which O’Malley referenced.
“It is a fireable offense if an employee goes through and browses to see, you know, what their brother-in-law might have made in the course of his life. For those things, it’s a fireable offense, and oftentimes it’s something that is referable to the inspector general for criminal prosecution,” O’Malley said.
“But now we can’t do that because the co-presidents whacked all of the inspector generals whose job it is to police against waste, fraud and abuse there.”
President Trump fired 17 inspector generals in late January bypassing the required notification to Congress. Eight of the federal watchdogs sued over their forcible departure, arguing there was a clear intent to impede on non-partisan oversight.
The move was questioned by both Democrats and Republicans.
“I don’t understand why one would fire individuals whose mission it is to root out waste, fraud and abuse. This leaves a gap in what I know is a priority for President Trump. So I don’t understand it,” Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said.
Future DOGE efforts include major reforms to the US Department of Education and the Pentagon.
