Elon Musk's directive for federal employees to justify their positions or face termination has sparked fresh turmoil across U.S. government agencies, with officials issuing conflicting guidance and unions vowing legal challenges.
On Monday evening, Musk, who leads the White House's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), stated on X that federal workers would have "another chance" to submit a summary of their recent accomplishments. "Subject to the discretion of the President, they will be given another chance," Musk wrote. "Failure to respond a second time will result in termination."
The order follows a contentious weekend in which federal employees were initially given until the end of Monday to comply with Musk's demand, only for multiple agencies to instruct their workers to disregard the directive. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) ultimately told agencies they could decide individually how to respond.
The administration's approach to federal workforce reductions has deepened divisions within President Donald Trump's government, as agencies struggle to navigate Musk's initiatives. While some departments, such as the Transportation Department and the Department of Commerce, encouraged compliance, others, including the Department of Defense and the State Department, advised employees to ignore the request.
The demand for workers to justify their positions marks the latest step in Musk's aggressive downsizing initiative, which has already led to the termination of more than 20,000 government employees. The administration has separately offered buyouts to 75,000 additional workers, aiming to shrink the federal workforce, which numbers approximately 2.3 million.
Musk defended the requirement, calling it "a check to see if the employee had a pulse and was capable of replying to an email." Trump, addressing reporters, praised Musk's approach as "ingenious" and suggested it would reveal inefficiencies. "If people don't respond, it's very possible that there is no such person or they're not working," Trump said.
Concerns over the policy have mounted in Congress, with members of Trump's own party questioning its impact. "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), whose state employs roughly 33,000 federal workers. "These are real people. These are real lives. These are mortgages."
Legal challenges have swiftly followed. The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the largest federal employee union, announced plans to fight any unlawful terminations. A coalition of labor unions has asked a federal judge to block Musk's directive, and on Monday, they updated their lawsuit to include his latest threat. A judge separately ruled that DOGE officials could not access sensitive data held by the Education Department and OPM.
Confusion over the directive has extended to national security concerns. In internal communications, the Department of Health and Human Services advised employees that if they chose to respond, they should avoid mentioning specific contracts or sensitive programs. "Assume that what you write will be read by malign foreign actors and tailor your response accordingly," an agency email reviewed by Reuters stated.
Beyond the federal workforce, Musk's downsizing efforts have disrupted the broader economy. Companies that contract with the government have begun laying off employees and delaying vendor payments as uncertainty over federal projects mounts. The administration's moves have also impacted foreign aid distribution, with billions of dollars frozen and essential supplies left in limbo. The U.S. Agency for International Development, which administers most U.S. foreign assistance, has been effectively dismantled, leading to medicine and food shortages in warehouses.
The administration has been forced to reconsider some of its decisions, including rehiring workers involved in critical functions such as nuclear weapons oversight and bird flu response. Despite the mounting legal and logistical hurdles, Musk has signaled that his office remains committed to streamlining federal operations. "This mess will get sorted out this week," he wrote on X. "Lot of people in for a rude awakening and strong dose of reality. They don't get it yet, but they will."
The White House has not commented on Musk's latest directive or the growing backlash from lawmakers, unions, and agency officials.
