Elon Musk, billionaire businessman and key adviser to former U.S. President Donald Trump, has announced that all federal employees must justify their work or risk losing their jobs. This comes shortly after Trump urged him to be “more aggressive” in cutting government expenses.
Musk, the world’s richest man and Trump’s top donor, is spearheading efforts to reduce the federal workforce. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he stated:
“All federal employees will shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week. Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation.”
A leaked email from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) revealed that workers were asked to submit approximately five bullet points detailing their weekly accomplishments. The deadline for responses was set for 11:59 pm on Monday, though the email did not explicitly state that failure to comply would result in dismissal.
Mixed Reactions and Legal Challenges
The largest federal employee union, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), has vowed to challenge any wrongful terminations. National President Everett Kelley condemned the move, accusing Musk and the Trump administration of disregarding the contributions of public servants.
“It is cruel and disrespectful to hundreds of thousands of veterans who are serving in civil service to be forced to justify their job duties to an unelectedU billionaire who has never done a single hour of public service,” Kelley said.
Some federal workers, including a physician at the Department of Veterans Affairs, said they were advised to ignore the email until further notice.
“I have so much work to do, I am not going to neglect actual patient care for this drama,” the physician told reporters.
Despite the backlash, Musk later softened his stance, stating that even a simple email with “some bullet points that make any sense” would be acceptable.
Trump Backs Musk’s Cost-Cutting Drive
Trump, in a post on Truth Social, praised Musk’s efforts but encouraged him to push even harder.
“Musk is doing a great job, but I would like to see him get more aggressive,” Trump wrote.
The billionaire entrepreneur has been appointed to lead the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an advisory body tasked with eliminating wasteful spending.
As part of these reforms, the U.S. Defense Department announced a five percent reduction in its civilian workforce starting next week. The administration has also begun dismissing federal employees still on probationary status.
However, DOGE’s sweeping reforms have faced resistance, with some measures being challenged in court. A judge recently declined to temporarily halt the mass layoffs.
Despite concerns over potential conflicts of interest due to Musk’s business dealings with the government, both Trump and Musk dismissed such fears. Trump, speaking at a conservative event, said:
“Elon is doing a great job… We love Elon, don’t we? He’s a character. People ask what official position he holds. I say, ‘Patriot’.”
Musk has promised that DOGE’s activities will remain transparent, with updates published online to ensure accountability.
