The Political Scene | The New Yorker The Rise And Fall of DOGE
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Jun 19, 2025 Benjamin Wallace-Wells, a Staff writer for The New Yorker covering politics and culture, discusses the drastic decline of DOGE and the aftermath of Elon Musk's departure from its leadership. He highlights the chaotic state of the project and its legacy. Additionally, Wallace-Wells covers a disturbing incident involving impersonation of police in Minnesota, revealing the risks and implications for lawmakers and communities. The discussion underscores broader themes of technology in governance and the impact of social media on public perception.
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Sahil Lavindia's Doge Journey
- Sahil Lavindia, a tech founder, joined Doge after a simple referral chain and brief interviews.
- He was not a hardcore coder but was assigned to code AI projects like VA GPT at the VA.
Federal Spending and Workforce Insight
- Most federal spending goes to contractors, not federal workers, creating oversight challenges.
- Mass cutting federal employees may increase costs due to less contract supervision.
Anti-Woke Politics Drives Cuts
- Cuts targeted small agencies like USAID, driven by anti-woke politics and conspiracy theories.
- Both Musk and Trump shared an anti-woke agenda influencing Doge's priorities.