Thousands of staff are apparently left in limbo
Elon Musk Shakes Up Washington: 200,000 Federal Workers Out as Government Cuts Continue
Elon Musk has sent shockwaves through the U.S. government, accelerating mass layoffs and resignations as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) intensifies efforts to slash roles and reduce federal spending. With over 200,000 federal employees reportedly stepping down or being fired since President Trump’s return to office, the shake-up is far from over.
Under direct orders from Trump to take a more aggressive approach, Musk wasted no time in enforcing strict new policies. Among them: a mandatory return to in-office work and a 48-hour ultimatum requiring federal employees to submit a five-bullet-point email outlining their weekly accomplishments.
Despite outrage from staffers and senators, Musk doubled down, stating that failure to respond would be considered a resignation. The controversial mandate has sparked fierce debate, with critics calling it draconian and supporters praising Musk for eliminating bureaucratic inefficiencies.
As Washington reels from the latest upheaval, one thing is clear—Musk’s no-nonsense leadership is reshaping the federal workforce in ways never seen before.
Musk’s ‘Pulse Check’ Sparks Legal Chaos as Feds Push Back Against Unprecedented Ultimatum
While Elon Musk’s bold move to overhaul the federal workforce with his ‘What did you do last week?’ email continues to make waves, the federal workforce remains deeply divided over the controversial directive. With high-profile agencies like the FBI and NSA urging their employees not to comply, the question of legality looms large. Reports from The Washington Post have raised concerns over whether Musk’s email—and the potential mass firings it threatens—are even lawful.
After sending the 48-hour email ultimatum to 2.3 million federal workers, Musk described the directive as a ‘pulse check’ on the workforce, underscoring the simplicity of the task: “The bar is very low here. An email with some bullet points that make sense at all is acceptable! Should take less than 5 minutes to write.”
Yet, for many federal employees, the task is easier said than done. McLaurine Pinover, a spokesperson for the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), clarified that agency managers will decide on the next steps once responses are in. However, as highlighted by The Washington Post, some employees—especially those in sensitive positions, like the Defense Department, or those on administrative leave—may not even have the authorization or access to respond to Musk’s demand.
This adds another layer of complexity, as some federal workers are prohibited from sharing information without explicit approval, and others may be working in locations where they’re unable to even check their emails. As the fallout continues, legal challenges may soon follow, questioning whether Musk’s order crosses a line.
With the Trump administration’s commitment to a leaner government on full display, it remains to be seen whether this controversial tactic will reshape the federal landscape or if the pushback will be enough to thwart Musk’s aggressive overhaul.
Musk’s ‘No Reply, No Job’ Email Faces Growing Legal Backlash
Elon Musk’s ‘What did you do last week?’ email directive to federal workers has ignited more than just frustration—it’s sparking legal controversy. Nick Bednar, a law professor at the University of Minnesota, suggests the whole mandate could be illegal, citing federal law that requires employee resignations to be voluntary. Bednar explained, “The analogy to this is I send you an email and I give you a day to respond or you owe me a million dollars. I can’t take that to court and say, well, they didn’t respond, so they clearly accepted they were going to give me a million dollars.”
This view has been echoed by Max Stier, the president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service, who called Musk’s directive “arson on a public asset, the workforce.” Stier emphasized that there’s no legal basis for assuming a non-response equals resignation. “He can tweet what he wants, but that will not have that kind of legal validity,” Stier said, firmly rejecting Musk’s idea of a ‘forced resignation’ through silence.
As the deadline has come and gone, Musk’s efforts have taken another turn. It seems he’s given federal employees another chance to comply, but with growing scrutiny, all eyes are now on the tech billionaire, the self-proclaimed ‘First Buddy’, to see how his controversial approach plays out.
Will Musk’s unprecedented power play result in massive federal shakeups, or will it lead to a legal reckoning that sets the limits of what even the most influential private citizens can demand of government workers? The tension is mounting.
