DOGE ‘whiz kids’ tried to release billions of gallons of water during LA fires

Representatives from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency(DOGE) flew to California during the Los Angeles wildfires and attempted to compel a United States water management agency to open a major pump system in late January before trying to turn it on themselves, according to new reporting from CNN.

The two DOGE staffers pressured the head of the Bureau of Reclamation to activate the system in an attempt to get billions of gallons of water to the scorched city, despite the system not allowing it to flow that far.

In late January, the staffers contacted bureau officials claiming President Donald Trump wanted the pumps turned on at the Jones Pumping Plant, which sends water to the state’s Central Valley, CNN reports.

Officials refused to give in to staffers Tyler Hassen and Bryton Shang, so they took matters into their own hands, flying to California to try and turn the system on themselves, attempting to get a picture in the process, according to the report.

CNN reported this citing six people with knowledge of the events that took place as President Donald Trump falsely claimed the LA fires were a result of the state’s water policies. They spoke to the outlet on the condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak on the matter and reportedly feared retaliation from Trump.

Two issues stopped the pair from accessing and turning on the system. One, Shang was not an official federal government employee when the two attempted to access the system, and therefore not permitted to even be near the pumps. Two, the system’s power was down due to regularly scheduled maintenance.

Hassen, being the only one of the two who could access the system, had to fly home before the power was restored.

“They didn’t get their photo op,” an unnamed source with knowledge of the incident told CNN, adding it represented “what DOGE has been this entire time — this slapstick operation of 20-somethings they’re seeing as whiz kids but have zero knowledge.”

Instead of the sought-after photo-op of the two turning the pumps on, the official DOGE X account posted a photo of Shang and Hassen in front of a map, along with other pictures of the plant.

A White House official also told The Independent Hassen and Shang are Department of Interior employees. Hassen has been previously identified as a DOGE staffer by The New York Times.

Despite the failures of the “whiz kids” Trump usurped California’s own water policy, ordering the Army Corps of Engineers to open two dams in central California, which ultimately flooded farmland in the San Joaquin Valley with 2.2 billion gallons of fresh water. State water experts previously told CNN it was a regrettable waste of water as farmers look anxiously toward the state’s dry season.

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement Trump “turned on the water to prevent another tragedy like the recent California wildfires” and noted he also signed an executive order “to enhance forest management.”

“He will continue to protect America’s abundant natural resources while streamlining federal agencies to better serve the American people,” Kelly said.