Washington, D.C.: Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) mistakenly terminated several top nuclear experts, triggering major security concerns in Congress. The personnel, who oversee the U.S. nuclear stockpile, were dismissed due to a lack of understanding about their role, sources told CNN.
Following backlash, the National Nuclear Safety Administration (NNSA) is now scrambling to rehire the experts, whose work is crucial for nuclear weapons management, transportation, and counterterrorism.
Security Risks and Congressional Panic
According to reports, the DOGE team fired up to 400 NNSA employees without realizing their critical role in national security. A Bloomberg source revealed that the terminations were later reversed, but the damage had already been done.
- The NNSA oversees nuclear weapons manufacturing, dismantling, and emergency response.
- Specialists also draft policies for nuclear weapons contractors.
- The layoffs included top security clearance holders, making replacements challenging.
A congressional source told CNN, “Congress is freaking out. DOGE didn’t realize NNSA controls the nuclear stockpile.”
Energy Department’s Response
An Energy Department spokesperson clarified that around 50 NNSA employees were dismissed, mostly from administrative roles. However, Jill Hruby, former National Nuclear Security Administrator, warned that many of these experts may never return, given the high-level security clearances and 18 months of specialized training required.
Mayhem Created by Musk’s DOGE
Musk’s federal layoff strategy has been chaotic, with reports of young, inexperienced staffers making critical personnel decisions.
- A town hall in Virginia revealed that senior federal employees had only 15 minutes to justify their jobs to inexperienced DOGE staff.
- One of Musk’s employees, a high school graduate and college dropout, lost an internship for leaking classified data.
The situation raises serious concerns about the future of U.S. nuclear security and the long-term impact of indiscriminate layoffs.
