Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general, told the San Antonio Express-News on February 11, 2025 that "Elon Musk and the DOGE team are doing incredible work to cut the wasteful spending." That same day, President Trump ordered DOGE's workforce initiative, which led to agency layoff plans and a federal workforce 264,000 employees smaller by August 2026.
Paxton also praised Trump's March 2025 order to close the Education Department, which cut its staff nearly in half and closed the Dallas civil rights office that handled Texas complaints, and he urged the Senate in January 2025 to confirm Kristi Noem, whose Homeland Security Department oversaw FEMA as it lost about 17 percent of its workforce. Texas has 155,953 federal employees.
Ken Paxton's Statements on DOGE and the Federal Workforce Cuts
- Paxton Praised Elon Musk's DOGE the Day Trump Ordered Its Federal Workforce Cuts. On February 11, 2025, Ken Paxton told the San Antonio Express-News: "Elon Musk and the DOGE team are doing incredible work to cut the wasteful spending." The same day, President Trump signed the executive order implementing the President's "Department of Government Efficiency" Workforce Optimization Initiative. On February 26, 2025, the budget office and the Office of Personnel Management ordered agencies to plan "A significant reduction in the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) positions" under that initiative. The administration attempted to fire more than 20,000 federal employees who were in their probationary periods, and between September 2024 and August 2026 the government workforce was 264,000 employees smaller, a decrease of about 12%, the Partnership for Public Service found. The Office of Personnel Management itself called it the largest reduction of the federal workforce in American history. The largest share of newly disclosed spending by Elon Musk's America PAC, more than $247,000, later went to aid Paxton, CNN reported in September 2026.
- Paxton Praised the Order to Close the Education Department, Which Cut Its Staff Nearly in Half. On March 20, 2025, Ken Paxton posted "I'm proud to stand with @POTUS as he returns education back to the states" as President Trump signed an executive order instructing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to begin dismantling the Department of Education. The Education Department said it cut its workforce by nearly half, from 4,133 employees to 2,183, and in July 2025 the Supreme Court said Trump may proceed with his plan to carry out mass layoffs at the department. Among the offices closed was the Dallas regional civil rights office, which was handling every civil rights complaint coming out of Texas.
- Paxton Urged Kristi Noem's Confirmation; FEMA Lost About One in Six Employees Under Her. On January 15, 2025, Ken Paxton was one of 18 state attorneys general who signed a letter asking the Senate "to confirm as soon as possible Governor Kristi Noem" to lead the Department of Homeland Security, which includes FEMA. The Government Accountability Office found over 4,300 employees separated from FEMA in fiscal year 2025, about 17 percent of its workforce, during a hiring freeze, and CNN reported that by one count roughly 20% of the workforce left under Noem.
What the Federal Workforce Cuts Ken Paxton Praised Mean for Texas
- Federal jobs in Texas. Texas has 155,953 federal employees, 7.7% of the federal workforce, and the federal workforce in Texas, as in California, Florida and Georgia, is smaller than before the Trump administration took office, the Partnership for Public Service reported in January 2026.
- Civil rights complaints. The Education Department's Dallas office, which handled every civil rights complaint from Texas, closed, and those complaints will likely be redirected to the Kansas City office, the Texas Tribune reported.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ken Paxton on DOGE and Federal Workers
What is Ken Paxton's record on DOGE and federal workers under Trump?
Ken Paxton praised Elon Musk's DOGE on February 11, 2025, the day Trump ordered the DOGE workforce initiative that led to agency layoff plans and, by August 2026, a federal workforce about 12% smaller. He praised the order to close the Education Department, which cut its staff from 4,133 to 2,183, the department said. He also urged the Senate to confirm Kristi Noem, whose FEMA lost thousands of employees in fiscal 2025.
Did Ken Paxton support Elon Musk and DOGE?
Yes. Ken Paxton said in February 2025 that "Elon Musk and the DOGE team are doing incredible work," and he told the Express-News he had no concerns about Musk's staff accessing Americans' private data even as other states' attorneys general sued over that access. In April 2026 his office announced investigations of dozens of Medicaid providers using data from DOGE.
Did Elon Musk's PAC spend money to help Ken Paxton?
Yes. The largest share of newly disclosed spending by Elon Musk's America PAC, more than $247,000, went to aid Ken Paxton, CNN reported in September 2026. Paxton had praised Musk's DOGE in February 2025.
Last updated: 2026-10-25