The president’s directive for DOGE to get “MORE AGGRESSIVE” didn’t sit well with some in his administration as two key officials joined cabinet members in dismissing an email demand.
Out of all of President Donald Trump’s initiatives since returning to the White House, his Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency has proven the greatest bane to many. However, it wasn’t merely establishment figures bucking the billionaire’s “chainsaw for bureaucracy” as Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and FBI Director Kash Patel added their names to a list of department heads disregarding an accountability email via the Office of Personnel Management.
“Given the inherently sensitive and classified nature of our work, I.C. employees should not respond to the OPM email,” wrote Gabbard in a message to intelligence officials reported by the New York Times.
Likewise, only days after confirmation, Patel took the reins and asserted, “FBI personnel may have received an email from OPM requesting information. The FBI, through the Office of the Director, is in charge of all of our review processes, and will conduct reviews in accordance with FBI procedures.”
“When and if further information is required, we will coordinate the responses. For now, please pause any responses,” he added as they joined Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in telling employees to disregard the request for a response.
The power struggles begin.
FBI Director Kash Patel tonight has instructed his employees to ignore @elonmusk’s productivity inquiry, saying, essentially—we will evaluate our own people, thanks. pic.twitter.com/BkisigRPNq
— Ken Dilanian (@KenDilanianNBC) February 23, 2025
On Saturday, President Trump petitioned his DOGE head to ramp up efforts to drain the swamp and posted to Truth Social, “ELON IS DOING A GREAT JOB, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HIM GET MORE AGGRESSIVE. REMEMBER, WE HAVE A COUNTRY TO SAVE, BUT ULTIMATELY, TO MAKE GREATER THAN EVER BEFORE. MAGA!”
Toward that end, an email was sent to federal employees expecting a response with five bullet points — without links, attachments, or classified information — summarizing accomplishments from the most recent week.
“Consistent with President @realDonaldTrump’s instructions, all federal employees will shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week,” stated Musk who warned, “Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation.”
Consistent with President @realDonaldTrump’s instructions, 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.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 22, 2025
The ultimatum factored heavily into objections as American Federation of Government Employees President Everett Kelley was among those releasing an opposition statement that read, “It is cruel and disrespectful to hundreds of thousands of veterans who are wearing their second uniform in the civil service to be forced to justify their job duties to this out-of-touch, privileged, unelected billionaire.”
“AFGE will challenge any unlawful terminations of our members and federal employees across the country,” he added.
Of course, legal challenges to Trump’s America First agenda have thus far proven ineffective in attempting to usurp his authority over the executive branch as U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols has rejected the AFGE preliminary injunction filed with the American Foreign Service Association attempting to block the administration from dismantling the now-infamous U.S. Agency for International Development.
In speaking to the importance of garnering responses, Musk posted on X, “The reason this matters is that a significant number of people who are supposed to be working for the government are doing so little work that they are not checking their email at all!”
“In some cases we believe non-existent people or the identities of dead people are being used to collect paychecks. In other words, there is outright fraud,” he added.
The tech entrepreneur also stated in part, “This was basically a check to see if the employee had a pulse and was capable of replying to an email. This mess will get sorted out this week. Lot of people in for a rude awakening and strong dose of reality. They don’t get it yet, but they will.”
The reason this matters is that a significant number of people who are supposed to be working for the government are doing so little work that they are not checking their email at all!
In some cases, we believe non-existent people or the identities of dead people are being used… https://t.co/Rj5Xe6vYZB
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 23, 2025
No LLM needed here. This was basically a check to see if the employee had a pulse and was capable of replying to an email.
This mess will get sorted out this week.
Lot of people in for a rude awakening and strong dose of reality. They don’t get it yet, but they will.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 24, 2025
Not all department heads stood against the request as Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. instructed employees to provide a response by Monday noting, “This is a legitimate email.”
Musk himself led by example and responded with his own bullet points on efforts at efficiency that the president shared on social media.
RFK Jr. urging staff to respond to Elons email, per source pic.twitter.com/GG9Nv8KBTh
— Sam Stein (@samstein) February 23, 2025
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 23, 2025
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
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