Lagatar24 Desk
Washington DC: The Trump administration has reportedly distanced itself from Elon Musk’s controversial mandate requiring all US federal employees to submit five accomplishments from the previous week or face dismissal. The move comes after significant backlash from agency heads, federal workers, and political analysts.
White House Downplays Musk’s Mandate
Over the weekend, Musk, a close ally of President Donald Trump, posted on his social media platform, X, that government employees would receive an email demanding justification of their work. He warned that failure to respond by Monday at 11:59 PM ET would be treated as voluntary resignation.
However, before the deadline, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which oversees federal human resources, advised government agencies to ignore the directive. The agency clarified that federal employees cannot be terminated solely for failing to comply with Musk’s order.
The Washington Post quoted sources stating that while the OPM supports weekly reporting, there is no clear directive on handling responses already received. Furthermore, some agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) under Director Kash Patel, had preemptively instructed employees not to comply due to national security concerns.
Confusion and Resistance Among Agencies
Musk’s email reportedly reached millions of employees, including federal judges and legislative staffers, creating widespread uncertainty. Agency leaders struggled with how to interpret or implement the directive, leading to what some analysts described as an internal revolt.
“There’s a full revolt going on right now,” said Doug Holtz-Eakin, President of the American Action Forum, a conservative think tank.
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), created by Trump and led by Musk, was intended to streamline the federal workforce. However, Cabinet members have expressed concerns about the drastic workforce reductionsMusk aims to implement.
Trump Downplays Disconnect, Defends Musk’s Role
Addressing reporters from the Oval Office, Trump downplayed the growing opposition, stating that only select agenciessuch as the FBI and State Department were exempt due to security concerns.
“They don’t mean that in any way combatively with Elon. They’re just saying there are some people that you don’t want to have them tell you what they were working on last week. Other than that, everyone thought it was a pretty ingenious idea,” Trump stated.
Despite the administration’s apparent backtracking, concerns remain about Musk’s influence over the federal government and his push for sweeping job cuts.
