Republicans are facing mounting voter frustration with Trump administration cuts made under tech billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

The anger has spilled out into public view in recent days as Republican lawmakers have been confronted over the cuts at raucous town halls. And multiple polls have suggested that, while voters are open to the broader idea of a federal downsizing, they’re concerned by the implementation of DOGE’s efforts.

Now Republicans are grappling with the political danger DOGE poses heading into the midterms — especially amid fears that many of the people impacted come from areas that voted for Trump.

“There’s gonna be real job losses that we’re not measuring yet, but we’re going to in the coming weeks and months,” Republican strategist Doug Heye said of the DOGE cuts. “And where that has an impact, especially in specific communities … that makes their life harder for the reliable voter, typically, for Trump. That kind of slow burn, I think, could have an impact.”

DOGE claims to have saved an estimated $115 billion so far through efforts ranging from grant cancellations to workforce reductions. Some of its moves, including the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), have been challenged in court as Democrats sound alarms about overreach, Musk’s influence and the ripple effects of the changes.

Tens of thousands of federal employees are estimated to have been fired or accepted what amounted to a buyout offer from the administration. Though roughly 20 percent of federal workers live in the D.C. area, the rest are spread out across the country, and cuts could sting voters in key congressional districts, including states that went to Trump last year. Outside of the DMV, federal workers have the most significant presence in California, Texas, Florida and Georgia, according to

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