Elon Musk’s DOGE Team Reportedly Using AI to Monitor U.S. Federal Employees for Anti-Trump Sentiment: Sources

Washington, D.C., April 8 Elon Musk’s tech-driven federal initiative, known as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), is reportedly deploying artificial intelligence to monitor communications within at least one U.S. federal agency for expressions deemed hostile to former President Donald Trump and his administration’s agenda, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Elon Musk DOGE team

Multiple individuals with direct knowledge of DOGE’s operations allege that the team, shrouded in secrecy, is using advanced AI tools — including Musk’s proprietary Grok chatbot — and encrypted messaging platforms like Signal to scrutinize internal agency communications. This initiative, critics argue, could represent an unprecedented use of AI for political surveillance within the U.S. government.

Allegations of Surveillance, Lack of Transparency

While details remain unconfirmed by Musk or the White House, sources say that DOGE has begun piloting AI surveillance tools at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to flag communications perceived as disloyal to Trump or Musk. The agency, already under intense pressure from budget cuts and staff reductions, has seen over 600 employees placed on leave and faces a proposed 65% budget slash.

Sources claim that DOGE is monitoring internal communication tools such as Microsoft Teams, and that EPA managers have been explicitly warned to “be careful what you say, type, or do.”

Musk’s Grok chatbot is said to be “heavily deployed” in these operations, although its exact application remains unclear. Critics warn that this could lead to targeted purging of civil servants, replacing them with political loyalists, and creating a culture of fear and self-censorship within federal agencies.

Ethics Concerns Over Use of Signal, Google Docs

DOGE’s use of Signal, an encrypted messaging app that allows messages to disappear, has drawn sharp criticism from government ethics experts. Kathleen Clark, a professor at Washington University in St. Louis, warned that using disappearing messages in official government work could violate federal record-keeping laws.

In addition, several DOGE staffers are allegedly circumventing official document protocols by using platforms like Google Docs to simultaneously edit sensitive materials without proper oversight. These practices, ethics watchdogs argue, lack accountability and transparency, violating norms of public governance.

Legal Pushback and Judicial Intervention

DOGE’s operations have come under legal scrutiny. A federal judge on March 10 ordered the department to begin handing over records to Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), a watchdog group suing under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). As of this week, no records have been provided, prompting concerns that DOGE is evading public oversight under the guise of executive privilege.

Court documents also reveal that when DOGE assumed control of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), it revoked access to key personnel databases from hundreds of employees. Only two individuals reportedly now have access, including a Musk-affiliated political appointee with a background in AI.

AI to Replace Government Workers?

One source claims that Musk previously floated the idea of replacing federal workers with AI, using government data to develop an intelligent system capable of automating bureaucratic tasks. The concept, while technically ambitious, has sparked alarm among both political parties for its implications on civil liberties and workforce rights.

DOGE’s stated mission is to eliminate $1 trillion in federal spending, but its methods are raising significant red flags among ethics experts, cybersecurity professionals, and civil rights advocates.

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