'Bluffing': Sources describe bizarre coup as DOGE head ignores order to quit

Source: Raw Story

July 15, 2025 7:20AM ET


Elon Musk’s right-hand man tried to stage a bizarre coup after being told to leave the government — ignoring the order and “bluffing” his way into continuing to do his old job, according to a new report. Steve Davis' departure from the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency wasn't just messy — it was downright odd, according to Politico.

After the White House announced on May 29 that the operational head of DOGE was following Elon Musk out of Washington, Davis apparently decided he wasn't going anywhere — and continued as if nothing had happened.

The situation became so problematic that in June, the White House Presidential Personnel Office had to contact DOGE leads across government and White House liaisons to explicitly tell staffers that Davis was no longer an employee and to "cease all communication with him."

But Davis wasn't having it. Acting as if he'd never left, he continued reaching out to staffers for DOGE updates and making requests. He even led a DOGE meeting on the sixth floor of the General Services Administration a full week after his supposed departure, announcing a "DOGE 2.0" that would be more collaborative with Cabinet secretaries, Politico reported. "He was at the GSA running the meeting like it was business as usual," one person familiar with the events told reporters.

Read more: https://www.rawstory.com/steve-davis-doge/