logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2025
21m 36s

Three Federal Workers Hit by DOGE

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL & GIMLET
About this episode

President Trump’s unprecedented effort to shrink the federal labor force is impeding work at government sites across the country. Three laid-off federal employees tell their story and WSJ’s Lindsay Ellis reports on the wider impact of the layoffs.


Further Listening:

- Inside DOGE's Campaign of Secrecy 

- Inside USAID as Elon Musk and DOGE Ripped It Apart 


Further Reading:

- The Collateral Damage of Trump’s Firing Spree 

- The Federal Workers Who Are Not Quite Fired, Not Quite Working 


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Up next
Oct 8
She Swore Off Legacy Media. Now She's Running CBS News.
Paramount has acquired news and opinion website the Free Press for $150 million. The company's co-founder, Bari Weiss, has a new job as editor in chief of CBS News. She's a polarizing figure, known for her outspoken support of Israel and strong views on topics like gun rights and ... Show More
18m 10s
Oct 7
They Won Millions for Life. Until They Didn't.
In 2021, Tamar Veatch won millions of dollars in a sweepstakes competition run by Publishers Clearing House, the company best known for delivering oversized checks to winners. But then last April, Publishers Clearing House went bankrupt. WSJ’s Akiko Matsuda explains why the compa ... Show More
20m 33s
Oct 6
Ben & Jerry's Co-Founder Wants to Be Set Free
Last month, Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Jerry Greenfield quit the brand after 47 years, accusing parent company Unilever of not allowing the company to speak out on social issues. Host Jessica Mendoza talks to Ben Cohen, the co-founder who stayed, about why he’s not leaving, what he ... Show More
23m 27s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2025
President Trump Agrees to Delay U.S. Tariffs on Mexico and Canada
 P.M. Edition for Feb. 3. President Trump has stunned corporate leaders and foreign officials by agreeing to last-minute, monthlong delays of his tariffs on Mexico and Canada. Plus, after a push from Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency, the Trump administration ... Show More
12m 40s
May 2025
Elon Musk, Doge, and the Big Beautiful Bill Uncovering Massive Government Fraud
For three days straight, Elon Musk’s departure from Doge has dominated the headlines, sparking outrage and speculation—especially among Trump supporters. Despite rumors of a Musk-Trump split, they’re joining forces to push back against Congress’s “big beautiful bill” and its mass ... Show More
10m 38s
Feb 2025
Meet Elon Musk’s Right-Hand Man Cutting Costs at DOGE
P.M. Edition for Feb. 10. After Elon Musk took over Twitter, one of his deputies, Steve Davis, adopted a move-fast-and-break-things approach to make the company more efficient. WSJ White House economics reporter Brian Schwartz tells us how Davis, now working at Musk’s Department ... Show More
13 m
Feb 2025
The Pentagon next in Donald Trump's cost cutting plans.
10 thousand US government workers have already been sacked by Elon Musk's DOGE team.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
2m 7s
Feb 2025
Elon Musk Runs DOGE With His CEO Playbook
It’s been roughly four weeks since Elon Musk took the helm of the newly established Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, which was tasked with slashing government spending. And a lot has happened since. WSJ columnist Tim Higgins joins host Julie Chang to discuss the late ... Show More
13m 59s
Feb 2025
Do I Still Have a Job?
Many federal workers woke up this morning asking whether they were still employed as Elon Musk's deadline for federal workers passed overnight. Meanwhile, the two Republican firebrands now heading up the FBI, Kash Patel and Dan Bongino, plan to shake things up. What impact will i ... Show More
49m 41s
Oct 1
Political blame game, workers furloughed, AI cancer treatment & more
As lawmakers trade blame for the government shutdown, the economy is feeling the impact. Thousands of federal workers have been furloughed with firings potentially on the way. National Guard troops have been sent to Memphis. We have an update on twin hurricanes Imedla and Humbert ... Show More
6m 47s
Feb 2025
Macron: Any Peace Deal Must Be “Assessed, Checked, And Verified”
A look at the 500 billion dollar investment by Apple in a major expansion project for the tech company. Plus, a controversial hire by President Trump by putting Dan Bongino in place as the deputy director of the FBI. We examine what the former secret service agent turned MAGA pod ... Show More
1h 26m
May 2025
What Immigrant Workers’ Loss of Legal Status Mean for Their Employers
P.M. Edition for May 28. As the Trump administration has threatened to roll back temporary legal protection of immigrant workers, U.S. businesses are preparing for a blow to their workforce. WSJ senior special writer Ruth Simon visited one such company to understand what that mig ... Show More
12m 1s
Jun 2025
A Look Back At The Early Stages Of DOGE
Before President Trump and Elon Musk publicly cut ties last week, they were closely working together to identify government waste. The President even tapped Musk to lead the charge, appointing him as head of the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency. Months later, Musk ... Show More
28m 45s