Several U.S. federal agencies have instructed employees not to respond immediately to an email from President Donald Trump’s adviser, Elon Musk, which demands they report their weekly accomplishments or risk termination.
This directive is part of an ongoing effort to significantly reduce the federal workforce, a move that has already resulted in over 20,000 layoffs and voluntary buyouts for an additional 75,000 employees.
Tensions within the administration have surfaced as some Trump-appointed officials at agencies like the FBI and the State Department urged employees to adhere to existing reporting structures rather than comply with Musk’s directive. “The FBI, through the office of the director, is in charge of all our review processes,” stated FBI Director Kash Patel in an internal email seen by Reuters.
Musk, leading the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has implemented sweeping changes affecting various federal departments, including Defense, Homeland Security, Commerce, and Education.
Some critical government functions, such as nuclear arsenal security and the response to a worsening bird flu outbreak, have been impacted, leading to rushed rehiring efforts.
On Saturday evening, federal employees received an email requiring them to submit details of their workweek by Monday night. The email, sent from a human resources account at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), omitted Musk’s warning that non-compliance would be considered a resignation.
Musk later reinforced the ultimatum on his social media platform, X, posting, “EXTREMELY troubling that some parts of government think this is TOO MUCH!! What is wrong with them??”
Agencies, including the National Institutes of Health, the Internal Revenue Service, and intelligence departments, have advised employees to await further instructions before responding. A senior executive at the National Centers for Environmental Information described the situation as “irregular, unexpected, and warrants further validation.”
The American Federation of Government Employees, the largest federal workers’ union, has challenged Musk’s authority to fire employees for not responding.
“To be clear – this is irregular, unexpected, and warrants further validation,” the union stated on social media, advising workers to seek guidance from their direct supervisors before replying.
Musk has defended the move as a necessary “pulse check” to gauge productivity within the government. Meanwhile, concerns have been raised about the legality and practicality of such an approach.
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie criticized the initiative, calling it “a complete overstep” and adding, “From a management perspective, you can see what a clown car this is right now.”
Senator John Curtis, a Republican from Utah, expressed partial support for reducing government spending but urged Musk to take a more measured approach. “If I could say one thing to Elon Musk, it’s, ‘Please put a dose of compassion in this,'” Curtis stated on CBS News.
The controversy has extended beyond the executive branch, with some judiciary employees, including judges, also receiving the email, despite the judiciary not falling under executive authority. The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts clarified that no action should be taken in response to the message.
With the administration pushing forward on its aggressive restructuring, legal and political challenges to Musk’s authority and approach appear inevitable.
