A rift opened up between President Trump’s appointees and Elon Musk over Musk’s directive to federal employees. He instructed them to list their weekly accomplishments or face possible job termination.
By Sunday evening, top officials from the Pentagon, FBI, State Department, and other major agencies told their teams to ignore an email from the Office of Personnel Management. The email asked employees, “What did you do last week?”
Some managers, like those at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), initially asked employees to comply but later changed their minds. Many advised staff to hold off on responding until they received further guidance the following Monday.
The White House did not comment on the apparent conflict between Musk’s orders and instructions from agency heads. This uncertainty added stress to a federal workforce already on edge. It seemed to create a clash between agency leaders, most of whom are loyal to Trump, and Musk, who rarely follows traditional protocols within the federal framework.
Despite the mixed signals, Musk showed no intention of backing down. On social media, he expressed frustration, questioning why some government sectors deemed his requests as excessive.
During the confusion, senior officials scrambled to clarify how employees should respond. Kash Patel, the newly sworn-in FBI director, suggested that the Bureau would manage reviews according to its standard procedures and advised employees to hold off on replying.
By Sunday, other agencies adopted a similar stance, despite Trump continuing to endorse Musk’s initiative online. Acting Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Darin Selnick emphasized that the Pentagon would manage personnel evaluations internally.
Many officials were left bewildered by the situation, with some deeming Musk’s requests absurd and disruptive to established command structures. At the Department of Homeland Security, employees received instructions not to respond and that their management would handle communications.
The State Department also informed its employees that they were not required to respond. They clarified that all communications would come from the department itself. HHS initially told its staff to respond but later reversed this, asking them to pause actions regarding the email.
This chaos affected many in the federal workforce, from law enforcement to healthcare professionals. The situation arose partly due to Trump urging Musk to pursue a more aggressive approach to reform the federal agencies.
Musk quickly followed through with a demand for work reports from employees, asserting that those who ignored the request could be fired. Yet, the initial emails lacked clear consequences, further deepening the confusion.
Even as employees tried to navigate the turmoil, Trump seemed unfazed, sharing memes online that mocked the situation.
This episode illustrates the significant influence Musk has gained in reshaping the federal government, often without facing significant pushback from agency leaders. With Trump’s support, Musk’s team has embedded itself in several agencies, probing their operations and asking long-term employees to justify their roles.
Most Trump-appointed officials have supported Musk’s initiatives, welcoming investigations into their departments. However, privately, there’s been growing concern about the extent of Musk’s authority and whether it’s appropriate for him to dictate operations across various agencies.
Over the weekend, even some Republican voices expressed hesitation about the approach being taken. Senator John Curtis of Utah urged Musk to show compassion, reminding everyone that federal workers are real people with real lives. He argued that it is possible to make necessary cuts without resorting to cruelty.
