Key Agencies Reject Musk’s Cost-Cutting Mandate Amid Confusion

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a polarizing move, key U.S. federal agencies, including the FBI and the Pentagon, have directed their employees not to comply with a cost-cutting initiative led by Elon Musk. This initiative requires employees to outline their weekly accomplishments or risk losing their jobs. The response has generated widespread chaos across government offices less than a month after President Donald Trump resumed office.

On Saturday, Musk’s team sent an email to federal employees requesting a list of five specific achievements from the previous week, implying that non-responses would be interpreted as resignations. His approach, characterized as a ‘pulse check’ by Musk, has drawn sharp criticism from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers. “If I could say one thing to Elon Musk, it’s like, please put a dose of compassion in this,” said Sen. John Curtis, R-Utah, highlighting the serious implications for federal employees.

The conflicting guidance came as multiple agency heads struggled to interpret Musk’s unusual directive. While some departments, like Health and Human Services, initially encouraged compliance among their roughly 80,000 employees, others issued immediate pushbacks. By Sunday evening, Health and Human Services had reversed course, instructing employees to pause any reporting until further notice.

Acting General Counsel Sean Keveney expressed outrage in an email, stating, “Having put in over 70 hours of work last week advancing the Administration’s priorities, I was personally insulted to receive the below email,” and raised concerns about the security of sensitive information in a public response.

In response to Musk’s directive, Kash Patel, the newly appointed Director of the FBI, clarified that the Bureau would not comply with the request at this stage. “The FBI, through the Office of the Director, is in charge of all of our review processes,” Patel wrote, instructing employees to “pause” any response to Musk’s demands.

Despite the chaos, Musk received backing from Trump, who indicated his approval on social media, encouraging more aggressive actions to reduce government overhead. Musk echoed claims about fraud within the federal workforce but failed to substantiate those allegations. “A significant number of people who are supposed to be working for the government are doing so little work,” Musk asserted in a post, igniting further backlash.

Democrats voiced concerns over the legality of Musk’s ultimatum, citing a lack of clarity on potential repercussions for non-compliance. “The actions he’s taking are illegal,” said Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md. Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., also questioned the legality surrounding the potential dismissal of workers.

The Office of Personnel Management confirmed the authenticity of Musk’s email, but also highlighted that any responses must be “explicitly voluntary,” contradicting the ultimatum presented by Musk. Labor unions, including the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), are threatening to take legal action, asserting that employees should not feel obligated to respond.

The fallout from Musk’s request continues to unfold, with many agencies preparing to offer guidance to their employees post-deadline. Following Musk’s callout to the federal workforce, agency heads are now actively working to clarify that responding to the directive is not mandatory. Further complicating the situation, there are reports of many employees struggling to access their emails over the weekend, potentially leaving several thousand federal workers unaware of Musk’s email.

The broader implications of this development may be felt across the government, as staff downsizing and budget cuts have already impacted several federal departments. The fallout from Musk’s initiative remains to be seen as significant attention will be focused on how the Trump administration addresses this unprecedented challenge.