DOGE's Cuts May Affect 'Defensive Capabilities' as US Straddles Defense Against Iran and Immigration: Ex-Security Official

Cuts pushed by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under Donald Trump are undermining the U.S. government's ability to defend against escalating threats from Iran, with one former national security official warning the reductions may "impact our defensive capabilities" at a time of growing global instability.

On Saturday, the U.S. launched strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites, escalating tensions with Tehran and triggering federal preparedness measures. Trump's DOGE-led downsizing since returning to office has led to the loss of over 100,000 federal employees, CNN reported.

Key agencies like FEMA, CISA, the State Department, and even Voice of America have been hollowed out—either through layoffs or resignations. Officials now warn that these reductions are impairing America's ability to anticipate and react to asymmetric attacks, such as cyber intrusions or retaliatory violence.

Hundreds of cybersecurity professionals have left CISA since January, according to Jeff Greene, the agency's former cybersecurity chief, creating "empty chairs" at a time when Iranian hackers are known to surveil and target dissidents and U.S. assets.

"The government generally, and CISA specifically, has lost a lot of great cyber talent, and we're going to feel that," Greene told CNN. "These losses will impact our defensive capabilities somewhere. If we shift more people to work Iran, that's going to come from somewhere. And the more empty chairs, the less we can do."

Meanwhile, at the FBI, agents originally reassigned to immigration enforcement are being redirected back to counterterrorism due to rising global instability. FEMA—crucial for managing domestic crisis fallout—is similarly under strain, with morale plunging amid leadership gaps and resource shortfalls.

The State Department is also reportedly without confirmed diplomatic leads in critical regions, including Iraq, Iran, Qatar, and Jordan. While the administration claims VOA is operating "lean and mean," insiders call the chaotic rollout a lost opportunity in shaping the public narrative inside Iran.

Former DHS counterterrorism chief John Cohen summed up the risk: "For any administration that comes into office, the real world has a way of impacting your initial priorities."