WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump expressed his backing for Elon Musk’s ultimatum demanding that federal employees detail their recent achievements by the end of Monday or face potential termination, a decree that has ignited new legal disputes and heightened chaos within the government working environment.
“What he’s doing is asking, ‘Are you actually contributing?’” Trump stated in the Oval Office during a discussion with French President Emmanuel Macron. “And then, if you don’t respond, it’s as if you’re semi-fired or outright fired, because a lot of people aren’t responding because they might not even exist.”
READ MORE: Federal workers initiate lawsuit over Musk’s threat of termination for non-disclosure of accomplishments.
The Republican president suggested that Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has uncovered “hundreds of billions of dollars in fraudulent activities,” implying that federal salaries are being disbursed to non-existent employees. No evidence was provided to support his claims.
Despite Trump and Musk advocating for their stance, the Office of Personnel Management advised agency leaders that adherence to Musk’s request was optional, according to a source who wished to remain anonymous to discuss internal affairs.
This guidance led to a range of conflicting advice for federal employees, varying by agency. Some were instructed to provide five actions they accomplished last week by Monday’s end, while others were informed this was optional, and some were explicitly told not to respond at all.
WATCH: How Elon Musk has gained significant influence in the Trump administration.
Concurrently, lawyers representing unions, businesses, veterans, and conservation groups filed an updated lawsuit in federal court in California on Monday, arguing that Musk violated laws by threatening widespread firings.
The lawsuit, led by the State Democracy Defenders Fund, referred to the situation as “one of the most extensive employment frauds in the history of this nation.”
Anna Kelly, a deputy press secretary at the White House, criticized the lawsuit by stating, “In the time it took these employees on taxpayer-funded salaries to lodge a frivolous lawsuit, they could have summarized their accomplishments to their supervisors, as is typical in the private sector, countless times.”
WATCH: Elon Musk presents a ‘chainsaw for bureaucracy’ on stage before addressing CPAC.
Musk is spearheading Trump’s initiative to reform and reduce the size of the federal government. They have encouraged employees to resign, instructed agencies to dismiss probationary staff, and even halted operations at some agencies entirely.
There has been considerable backlash, with protests in Washington and dissent from within the government. The Office of Special Counsel, which monitors the federal workforce, stated on Monday that firing several probationary employees might be illegal. Trump is attempting to dismiss the office’s head, Hampton Dellinger, in a case that has escalated to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Dellinger appealed to the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board to halt the layoffs of six employees, while suggesting that several more should also receive job protections.
READ MORE: Is it feasible for Trump to allocate funds from Musk’s DOGE cuts to taxpayers?
There are also indications that Musk is exploring the extent of his influence. Some administration officials — including staunch Trump allies like FBI Director Kash Patel — have advised employees not to respond to the request for five accomplishments, citing privacy or security issues, and noted that agencies have their own assessment processes for employees.
“When and if additional information is necessary, we will coordinate the responses. For now, please refrain from responding,” Patel stated in an email.
This represents the most significant public rift between the billionaire entrepreneur and Cabinet members, who have otherwise been keen to fulfill Musk’s initiatives.
Trump dismissed any notion of a divide involving his most influential advisor.
READ MORE: Displaced federal workers look for new employment, struggling to regain former positions.
“They don’t see it as combative in any way with Elon,” he remarked, adding that “everyone thought it was a quite innovative idea.”
The Office of Personnel Management, which operates as a human resources entity for the federal government, declined to provide comments on Monday while Musk continued to make threats of layoffs.
“Those who do not take this email seriously will soon find their careers advancing elsewhere,” he posted on X, his social media platform.
The latest upheaval commenced over the weekend when Trump shared on his social media platform, “ELON IS DOING A GREAT JOB, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HIM GET MORE AGGRESSIVE.”
READ MORE: Musk demands to know what all federal workers accomplished last week; some agencies advise against responding.
Musk then stated that “all federal employees will soon receive an email asking about their achievements from last week,” and claimed “failure to respond will be interpreted as a resignation.” This directive mirrored his management style in his own companies.
The Office of Personnel Management subsequently released its own request.
“Please reply to this email with approximately five bullet points of what you accomplished last week and cc your manager,” the message instructed. However, there was no mention of the possibility of termination for noncompliance. The deadline was set for 11:59 p.m. EST on Monday.
Immediate resistance emerged from several key U.S. agencies led by the president’s allies — including the State Department, Homeland Security, and the Pentagon — which instructed their staff over the weekend not to comply. Lawmakers from both major political parties asserted that Musk’s directive might be illegal.
Justice Department employees received an email on Monday morning stating they were not required to respond due to the confidential and sensitive nature of the Department’s work.
READ MORE: Fact-checking Trump’s and Musk’s assertions regarding their efforts to combat government ‘fraud and abuse’.
However, employees in the Washington U.S. attorney’s office were told to respond “in general terms,” omitting case-specific or other sensitive information. An email viewed by The Associated Press provided attorneys with guidance on responding regarding the number of court hearings attended, defendants charged, cases resolved, or other tasks performed.
Workers at the Education Department were instructed to comply on Monday morning. “The email is legitimate and employees should respond,” communicated Rachel Oglesby, the department’s chief of staff. She added that “frontline supervisors will assess both responses and non-responses.”
Thousands of government employees have been pushed out of the federal workforce — whether through firings or “deferred resignation” offers — during the initial month of Trump’s second term. No official count is available for the total dismissals or layoffs, but the AP has identified hundreds of thousands of workers being affected. Many of these individuals work outside Washington.
Associated Press contributors include Steve Peoples in New York, Eric Tucker, Amanda Seitz, Byron Tau, Ellen Knickmeyer, Matthew Perrone, Alanna Durkin Richer, and Tara Copp in Washington, along with Valerie Gonzalez in McAllen, Texas.
