Elon Musk has issued a stern warning to federal employees, threatening resignation for those who fail to meet a six-word demand. NASA workers, in particular, have received specific instructions on how to respond.
As the head of Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Musk is on a mission to slash federal spending, and he’s already making significant cuts. Programs focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), as well as foreign aid, have been among the first to face the axe. DOGE has claimed that its cost-saving measures have saved U.S. taxpayers a staggering $55 billion, though this figure has yet to be independently verified, according to ABC News.
Elon Musk’s latest move involves a seemingly simple email, but it carries some serious consequences for federal employees. The message, which landed in workers’ inboxes over the weekend, asks them to provide a quick rundown of their week’s accomplishments. Failure to respond could result in losing their job.
The email, sent by HR, had a straightforward subject line: “What did you do last week?” It instructed employees to reply with approximately five bullet points detailing their work from the previous week and to cc their manager. It also emphasized: “Please do not send any classified information, links, or attachments. Deadline is this Monday at 11:59pm EST.”
Seems simple, but missing the deadline could be a costly mistake.
It’s easy to see why some employees might be skeptical about Musk’s email—there’s little to no indication it’s truly from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). If you ask me, it looks a bit like one of those dodgy phishing scams, and I’d certainly be cautious before replying to it.
Musk, however, took to social media on Saturday to give federal employees a heads-up. He shared: “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.”
Interestingly, the email appeared in workers’ inboxes just after Trump’s appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), and according to CNN, the emails were marked as “highly important.” However, Musk’s mention of resignation wasn’t part of the message recipients actually received.
As for NASA employees, they’ve been given some specific guidance on how to respond. According to Bloomberg, managers within NASA’s Space Operations Mission group advised employees to hold off on replying to the email until they could ensure compliance. They were told to “try to continue to enjoy your weekend.” Another email from NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston urged engineers to “PAUSE on any response” and reminded them not to share proprietary or pre-decisional information with unknown recipients. A NASA spokesperson mentioned they would be sending out additional guidance soon.
NASA and SpaceX
Musk’s decision to take on the role at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has stirred up plenty of controversy, especially given his close ties with NASA through SpaceX, his space exploration company. Over the years, SpaceX has secured billions in federal contracts from NASA, a relationship that has sparked some eyebrows to raise.
As of February 13, SpaceX had already received $57,460,047 in federal funds from NASA this year alone. The U.S. Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS) reveals that just two contracts—one valued at $18,874,069 issued on January 17, and another for $38,858,978 signed earlier in February—account for much of this amount.
In fact, SpaceX is NASA’s second-largest private contractor, raking in a staggering $2.25 billion worth of contracts for the fiscal year 2024, according to Statista. Considering this level of funding, it’s hard not to find the situation a bit ironic. NASA employees could face “resignation” if they don’t respond to an email initiated by Musk, despite the fact that his company has been awarded such massive contracts from the agency.
And if that’s not enough irony for you, NASA is set to launch its highly anticipated PUNCH mission this week, which will examine the sun’s atmosphere—on none other than a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. It’s a full-circle moment that’s hard to ignore!
