Trump Administration Tests Mass Email System for Federal Workers

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is testing a new system that allows officials to email the entire federal workforce from a single address, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) announced Friday. The capability could enable President Donald Trump to communicate directly with millions of federal employees across dozens of agencies with a single click.

The White House declined to comment on the initiative, which aligns with the administration’s government modernization goals. The effort could leverage the expertise of tech billionaire Elon Musk, who has been involved in similar large-scale communication projects. Musk, who took over Twitter in 2022, has emphasized efficiency and hardcore work ethics in his ventures.

Federal workers at agencies including the Departments of State and Justice began receiving test emails from the system on Thursday and into Friday morning. Some employees initially mistook the messages for spam. “Looks like a phishing attempt,” one federal worker told NBC News.

A Justice Department official later confirmed the emails were legitimate, advising employees to use the agency’s phishing tool if they had concerns about other messages. One federal worker described the system as a “mandatory federal government group chat,” while another likened the requirement to reply “YES” to something out of George Orwell’s “1984.”

OPM, which oversees federal human resources and employee benefits, sent the government-wide message overnight. The email, obtained by CBS News, stated: “OPM is testing a new capability allowing them to send important communications to ALL Federal employees from a single mail address, [hr-at-opm-.gov]. If you receive an email from this address, it can be considered trusted.”

White House officials did not immediately respond to questions about the system’s purpose or timing. However, the rollout coincided with a week of significant personnel changes across the federal government, including hiring freezes and the suspension of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.

Some employees reported the email as spam, prompting agencies like the Food and Drug Administration to issue follow-up messages confirming its legitimacy. “Everyone thought it was spam,” said one tipster, who requested anonymity. “There was a flurry of messages, ‘Is this spam?'”

The new system is part of a broader effort to modernize government communications and root out inefficiencies. Representatives of the American Federation of Government Employees, a major labor union for federal workers, had no immediate comment on the initiative.