Michael Lewis Examines DOGE Impact on Federal Government

Michael Lewis is examining the effects of the Department of Government Efficiency on the US federal government in his book Blockers: Rebels in the Deep State. Published by W. W.

Norton & Company, the book profiles civil servants whose work was disrupted by DOGE initiatives and explores how the department's approach affected government operations under the second Trump administration. In a review published by Slate on October 4, 2026, the book is described as a collection of accounts involving six federal employees accused of obstructing DOGE, alongside a final chapter exploring an alternative approach to government reform. Lewis also discussed how DOGE changed incentives within government in an NBC News interview published October 11, 2026.

The book contrasts the expertise of career public servants with the actions of DOGE personnel, whom Lewis portrays as inexperienced and insufficiently familiar with the agencies they sought to change. One passage describes young officials as having “only just now grokking the fact that the United States government had three branches.”

Lewis structures the accounts around employees from different institutions, including the United States Institute of Peace and the Internal Revenue Service. The review describes an IRS official who locked herself in a darkened conference room to avoid Gavin Kliger, a DOGE employee seeking confidential information concerning 7 million taxpayers.

The book also examines the consequences of federal budget reductions for scientific research and public safety. Alexander Maranghides, a naturalized US citizen originally from Greece, worked at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, specializing in fires at the boundary between wildland and urban areas. According to the Slate review, the second Trump administration cut the institute's budget by half. Maranghides subsequently retired in his late 50s, taking with him extensive expertise on fires that can threaten communities far beyond traditionally fire-prone regions.

The review also highlights the departure of Francis Collins, former director of the National Institutes of Health and a leading figure in the Human Genome Project. Collins helped identify the gene responsible for cystic fibrosis, and his departure raised questions about the administration's treatment of experienced scientific officials. After leaving his position, Collins requested permission to continue unpaid laboratory research into a disease that causes premature aging in children. According to Lewis's account, he was told by Matt Memoli that remaining at the NIH could expose him to public accusations concerning research funding at a laboratory in China associated with allegations about the origins of COVID-19.

Lewis also examines the role of Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, in the circumstances surrounding Collins' departure. The review notes that Vought has a daughter with cystic fibrosis, connecting the episode to Collins' contributions to medical research. Through these cases, Blockers documents disputes over access to sensitive information, the removal of experienced personnel, and reductions in government research capacity. Lewis's reporting focuses on individual employees and the institutional responsibilities affected by DOGE's intervention in federal agencies.