About the Project
While WIRED’s newsroom was racing to reveal the extent of the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) rampage through the US federal government, it seemed like much of the country was frozen. Democratic politicians, pundits, and even other media outlets were shocked by the speed at which Elon Musk’s team was laying waste to dozens of agencies.
In concert with WIRED’s news reporting, executive editor Brian Barrett wrote a free weekly newsletter to eloquently distill and explain what was happening in the government as WIRED broke story after story on Musk’s influence and DOGE. Barrett’s commentary began before many even knew what was happening—and his urgent voice quickly became a poignant must-read and a clarion call amid the confusion.
His series of newsletters, the bulk of which were published between February and April 2025, detail the DOGE takeover, analyzing the way it occurred, the role of Silicon Valley in the government, the relationship between Musk and Donald Trump, and the seemingly irreversible destruction DOGE has caused. While some other opinion pages and outlets shied away from reporting or commenting on the Trump administration, Barrett was one of the first to highlight the calculated speed of the takeover, the eager destruction, and the way that Musk was running the country alongside Trump like a startup company for his own gain.
Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) rampage through the US federal government
Organization
WIRED
Award
Online Commentary, Package of Columns
Program
2025
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About the Project
While WIRED’s newsroom was racing to reveal the extent of the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) rampage through the US federal government, it seemed like much of the country was frozen. Democratic politicians, pundits, and even other media outlets were shocked by the speed at which Elon Musk’s team was laying waste to dozens of agencies.
In concert with WIRED’s news reporting, executive editor Brian Barrett wrote a free weekly newsletter to eloquently distill and explain what was happening in the government as WIRED broke story after story on Musk’s influence and DOGE. Barrett’s commentary began before many even knew what was happening—and his urgent voice quickly became a poignant must-read and a clarion call amid the confusion.
His series of newsletters, the bulk of which were published between February and April 2025, detail the DOGE takeover, analyzing the way it occurred, the role of Silicon Valley in the government, the relationship between Musk and Donald Trump, and the seemingly irreversible destruction DOGE has caused. While some other opinion pages and outlets shied away from reporting or commenting on the Trump administration, Barrett was one of the first to highlight the calculated speed of the takeover, the eager destruction, and the way that Musk was running the country alongside Trump like a startup company for his own gain.
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