White House reporter Chris Megerian found himself covering a beat he hadn’t anticipated when Donald Trump was re-elected: Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Week by week, DOGE upended the federal government’s structure—shuttering agencies authorized by Congress, cutting jobs by the thousands, and leaving vital services in disarray. Megerian consistently produced authoritative reporting that helped readers understand both the scope and consequences of Musk’s work in government.
As time passed, Megerian noticed Musk was becoming less vocal about DOGE. That observation sparked a larger, coordinated project: a fact-based assessment of what DOGE had actually done—and failed to do. Working with colleagues in the Washington bureau, Megerian helped assemble files that could be used in a digital format to give readers a clear, data-driven picture.
When Musk abruptly announced his departure from public service, the AP team shifted into overdrive. Megerian and colleagues worked late to publish an alert and a sharp spot story. Washington’s photo team was ready with a curated gallery, and videojournalist Mike Pesoli had footage prepped and ready to go.
Megerian then quickly pivoted to a digital-friendly deep dive that blended context with reporting from AP’s national security, democracy, climate, and health and science teams. Washington-based Kevin Vineys created a graphic to accompany the piece.
The result was a sweeping, multi-format report that put AP ahead of the competition by several days—cementing its dominance in coverage of Musk’s unprecedented role in the U.S. government.
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