Topline
Businesses and staff all through the federal authorities are scrambling to deal with billionaire Elon Musk’s directive for federal staff to reply to an e-mail asking what they did over the previous week—or else be fired—with a number of federal companies telling staff not to reply to the e-mail as a Monday deadline looms.
Elon Musk speaks on the Conservative Political Motion Convention (CPAC) on February 20, 2025 in Oxon … [+]
Timeline
The American Federation of Authorities Staff, the most important union representing federal staff, announced it despatched a letter to the Workplace of Personnel Administration chastising it for sending Musk’s directive to federal staff; the union decried the Musk directive as “plainly illegal” and stated it doesn’t imagine there’s any authority requiring staff to reply to it, arguing the message left federal staff “feeling undervalued and intimidated” and that by issuing it, OPM was “actively pulling federal staff away from their vital duties with out regard for the implications.”
The Department of Defense and federal judiciary are additionally amongst these directing staff not to reply to the e-mail, stories revealed Sunday point out, with The New York Occasions reporting Tulsi Gabbard, head of the Workplace of the Director of Nationwide Intelligence, additionally advised staffers to not reply given the “inherently delicate and labeled nature of our work.”
Musk defended the e-mail to federal staff on X as a “very fundamental pulse verify” and claimed his directive is critical as a result of he “imagine[s] non-existent individuals or the identities of lifeless persons are getting used to gather paychecks,” which he didn’t present any proof to help.
Stories emerged all through Saturday night of companies sending emails telling their staff not to reply to Musk’s request, together with the State Department, some Justice Department leaders and the FBI, with director Kash Patel—a Trump ally—telling staff to “pause” responding to the e-mail and saying the company “is in control of all of our evaluate processes,” in line with an email shared by NBC Information.
Emails had been despatched out to federal staff with the topic line “What did you do final week?”—with The Wall Road Journal reporting Musk and his crew initially conceived of the plan, after which despatched it to the Workplace of Personnel Administration to ship the precise emails to roughly 2 million staff.
Musk tweeted that in “compliance with [President Donald Trump’s] directions, all federal staff will shortly obtain an e-mail requesting to know what they received accomplished final week,” including, “Failure to reply shall be taken as a resignation.”
Trump posted on Reality Social saying Musk “IS DOING A GREAT JOB, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HIM GET MORE AGGRESSIVE.”
When Do Staff Have To Reply By?
Musk’s e-mail offers federal staff till 11:59 p.m. Monday to reply with what they completed over the previous week.
Which Businesses Are Directing Staff Not To Reply To Elon Musk?
Excessive-ranking officers on the following companies have despatched messages to staff directing them not to reply to Musk’s e-mail, according to multiple reports: the FBI, Division of Well being and Human Companies, Division of Protection, Workplace of the Director of Nationwide Intelligence, U.S. Courts System, State Division and Division of Justice. Some staff on the Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration had been directed to not reply Saturday as a result of the company was attempting to find out if the e-mail was a “phishing try,” The Washington Put up reports, and the Nationwide Science Basis advised staff it was “looking for steerage” and would supply up to date info Monday. Components of NASA had been initially advised to reply to the e-mail, the Put up stories, however then directed to draft an e-mail however not ship it but after a unique NASA division advised staff to carry off on replying.
Which Businesses Are Directing Staff To Reply To Elon Musk?
Musk said on X early Sunday he had already obtained “a lot of good responses” to the e-mail from federal staff, although it’s unclear which companies any staff responding to his request may go for. The Put up stories officers on the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Safety Company and Secret Service have directed staff to reply, with Secret Service staffers submitting a type response that states partly, “This week I completed: 100% of the duties and duties required of me by my place description” and “100% of the work product that my supervisor and I’ve agreed to.” Staff on the Nationwide Assets Conservation Service had been additionally directed to reply, in line with Lawfare, with an official saying staffers ought to “merely reply the request” as a result of they need to not want “prodding” to “spotlight how we assist farmers and ranchers.” There’s additionally been some confusion on the Justice Division, the place Bloomberg reports a number of high-level officers directed staff not to reply to the e-mail. When requested for remark, nevertheless, an unnamed Justice Division spokesperson claimed, “The other is true—DOJ has despatched steerage that staff ought to reply.” Ed Martin, the U.S. Lawyer in Washington, D.C., and a loyal Trump ally, additionally advised staff Saturday the workplace is “blissful to take part” and they need to “reply to the HR e-mail rigorously with regard to confidentiality and our duties,” as quoted by Bloomberg. On Sunday, nevertheless, the AP reports Martin despatched a comply with up message, saying staff ought to make a “good religion effort to answer” but in addition writing, “Let me make clear: We’ll adjust to this OPM request whether or not by replying or deciding to not reply.”
How Are Republicans Responding To Elon Musk’s Directive?
Whereas they haven’t been outspoken in opposition to the e-mail request—as Democrats have—even some GOP lawmakers have expressed reservations about Musk directing federal staff to reply to his e-mail or else resign. Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., told ABC Information on Sunday he doesn’t know the way Musk’s proposal to fireplace any staff who don’t reply is “essentially possible,” noting, “Clearly, plenty of federal staff are underneath union contract.” Sen. John Curtis, R-Utah, additionally told the Related Press, “If I might say one factor to Elon Musk, it’s like, please put a dose of compassion on this.” Federal staff “are actual individuals. These are actual lives. These are mortgages,” Curtis stated. “It’s a false narrative to say we have now to chop and you must be merciless to do it as properly.”
Can Elon Musk Hearth Federal Staff For Not Responding To His E mail?
It’s nonetheless unclear what is going to occur after Monday to any staff who haven’t responded to Musk’s e-mail, together with in companies the place they’ve been directed to not reply. The Workplace of Personnel Administration has additionally confronted current employees cuts, the Journal notes, and it stays to be seen how shortly the company will logistically be capable to undergo all of the emails it receives and decide which staff didn’t reply. Ought to Musk attempt to take away any federal staff for not being responsive, he’s all however sure to face authorized challenges from staff or labor unions, with AFGE chief Everett Kelley saying Saturday the union “will problem any illegal terminations of our members and federal staff throughout the nation.”
Contra
Musk’s broad directive to federal staff and purported authority to terminate anybody who doesn’t reply to his e-mail—together with Trump’s submit directing Musk to be extra “aggressive”—runs opposite to what the administration’s legal professionals are arguing in court. The Trump administration has been combating a lawsuit difficult Musk’s authority, as a coalition of Democratic state attorneys basic declare the Tesla CEO is an “agent of chaos” who’s exercising broad management over the federal authorities with out the right authorized authority to take action. Trump administration legal professionals have responded to these allegations by downplaying Musk’s authority and alleging he doesn’t have the ability the AGs declare, repeatedly arguing in courtroom filings and hearings that Musk has no “formal or precise authority to make any authorities choices himself.” Trump legal professionals have additionally tried to distance Musk from the Division of Authorities Effectivity (DOGE) that Trump tapped him to guide, claiming in a submitting that Musk will not be an “worker of the U.S. DOGE Service” and doesn’t function the top of the company.
Key Background
Musk’s directive to federal staff is a part of a broader effort by the billionaire and his DOGE officials to make dramatic cuts to the federal workforce. It comes as companies throughout the federal government have reported mass layoffs—a few of which have needed to be reversed—and after Musk and the Trump administration supplied federal staff buyouts in the event that they voluntarily resigned from their jobs. Musk’s DOGE is aimed toward concentrating on purported “waste” all through the federal authorities, which has drawn widespread controversy because the Trump administration has made broad cuts to federal spending along with the employees reductions. DOGE has additionally drawn criticism for making an attempt to entry delicate authorities info programs at varied companies, and numerous lawsuits have been filed difficult DOGE’s authority, which has resulted in a number of rulings limiting officers’ entry to delicate info.
