Elon Musk Email To Federal Employees : Elon Musk, head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), sent a third round of emails to over 2 million federal employees late Tuesday, March 11, demanding they submit five bullet points of their weekly accomplishments by midnight Monday, March 17, or risk termination.
Highlights
- Elon Musk’s third email demands federal workers list weekly accomplishments or face job cuts.
- Agencies split on compliance, with Defense now mandating replies amid union backlash.
- Trump backs Musk’s “pulse check,” sparking debate over legality and workforce morale.
Elon Musk’s Latest Email to Federal Employees Stokes Controversy
The move, part of President Donald Trump’s push to shrink government bureaucracy, has deepened chaos across agencies, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reversing prior resistance to mandate compliance, while unions and Democrats decry it as illegal intimidation.
Musk’s persistence—following two prior emails in February—underscores his and Trump’s resolve to overhaul the federal workforce, even as legal and practical hurdles mount.
A Relentless “Pulse Check”
The latest email, titled “What Did You Do Last Week?” and sent from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), mirrors Musk’s February 22 and March 1 blasts, which sparked uproar by threatening resignation for non-responders—a stance OPM later softened to “voluntary” on February 24.
Tuesday’s directive, however, escalates the stakes: “Failure to respond will inform agency reduction plans,” it warns, per a copy obtained by The Washington Post. Musk, posting on X Tuesday, called it a “basic pulse check” to root out “waste,” claiming over 70% of 1.2 million X poll respondents back weekly accountability.
Trump lauded the tactic Monday from the Oval Office, dubbing it “ingenious” and alleging non-responders “don’t even exist”—an unsubstantiated claim echoing his March 7 Congressional address.
Hegseth, after initially telling Defense workers to pause on February 22, shifted gears Sunday, ordering responses after a “Pentagon review,” per Forbes, aligning with Musk’s vision. Yet, agencies like the FBI, State Department, and CIA still instruct staff to ignore it, citing classified work, per NPR, leaving the workforce in disarray.
Pushback and Panic
Resistance is fierce. The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), representing 800,000 workers, slammed Musk’s “cruel” approach, with president Everett Kelley vowing legal action: “This unelected billionaire has no authority to terrorize veterans and civil servants,” he told TIME.
A federal judge’s February 27 ruling already blocked OPM-led mass firings, finding it lacks hiring-firing power, yet Musk’s shift to agency-level emails aims to sidestep this.
Workers are rattled. A U.S. Geological Survey staffer told CNN it’s “insulting” to justify tracked duties, while IRS employees drafted sarcastic replies like “fought Musk’s BS”.
The Education Department’s $25,000 buyout offer, expiring Monday, adds pressure—accept or face layoffs, per AP News. The Dow dipped 200 points Tuesday amid tariff and DOGE chaos, signaling broader unease.
A Trump-Musk Crusade Tested
Musk’s email saga, echoing his 2022 Twitter cull, tests Trump’s pledge to slash $2 trillion in spending—though experts call DOGE’s $55 billion savings claim inflated.
Trump’s March 11 Canada tariff hike and Panama Canal flex show his multi-front aggression, but the workforce fight risks stalling: under 50% responded to prior emails, and unions sue to halt “unlawful” threats.
As Musk touts “two neurons” for responders on X (Twitter), critics like Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) argue there’s “no constitutional basis” for his power. With agencies split and morale sinking, this third email—due Monday—could force Trump’s hand or fracture his efficiency dream.
