Why Washington bureaucrats fear accountability from DOGE

President Trump and Elon Musk are forcing federal employees to play by the same rules as everyday Americans. It’s been a long time coming.

Most private-sector workers understand the reality of unexpected job loss or being fired for cause. Likewise, small businesses and families don’t have an unlimited supply of cash or debt to keep them afloat. But for years, Washington’s bureaucracy has operated in a fantasy world that doesn’t exist anywhere else. Now, it’s being forced to confront the reality of a “normal” existence — and the reaction has been near hysteria.

Thanks to President Trump and the DOGE, accountability is back on the menu in Washington, and now the government must justify its spending — finally.

Nothing threatens Washington more than an outsider who keeps his word. Naturally, the radical left and the D.C. insiders are fighting back with the same old tired playbook.

The bureaucracy fights back

As of mid-March, more than 100 lawsuits or legal actions have been filed against the Department of Government Efficiency and the Trump administration. The New York Times even launched a tracker to keep up — because of course it did. If you can’t beat them, sue them.

Democrats have fired up their fundraising machine, using the specter of government accountability to fuel their hysteria. Even with the midterms more than 620 days away, they’ve begun targeting Musk. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has called him “shady,” a “MAGA elite,” and “the world’s richest extremist.”

Predictably, federal bureaucrats are fighting back against the Trump administration by refusing to work. Federal workers are slowing Trump’s reforms by throwing up roadblocks, denying access to systems, and resisting change in subtle ways. Government unions have seen a surge in interest, with one reportedly unable to process sign-ups fast enough. Other federal workers even walked off the job to join a protest in Washington. This is leftists’ standard procedure — because it’s all they know. They learned nothing from the last election, and they’re running the same failed playbook, hoping it will somehow work differently in 2026.

DOGE uncovers government waste

Why are they so scared of accountability? The DOGE’s initial findings make it clear:

Meanwhile, here in the U.S.:

• $373 million in DEI training grants from the Department of Education that promised to “engage in ongoing learning and self-reflection” to “develop asset-based anti-racist mindsets.”
• $1.9 billion in the Department of Housing and Urban Development that was simply “misplaced.”

My organization, the Foundation for Government Accountability, testified at the very first hearing of the DOGE subcommittee on Capitol Hill, and the findings were shocking:

My colleague Stewart Whitson identified the core issue during his testimony: “Imagine what else is buried under layers of red tape and government excuses.”

It’s time for accountability

Why are unelected bureaucrats scared of this long-overdue accountability to the taxpayers who pay their salaries?

Because the reality that most Americans live with every day terrifies them. We have to balance budgets, justify expenses, and make hard choices about groceries, bills, and vacations — all while paying the taxes that fund their waste.

Thanks to President Trump and the DOGE, accountability is back on the menu in Washington, and now the government must justify its spending — finally.

That’s what accountability looks like, and the American people are cheering it on.