Elon Musk spoke at the first cabinet meeting held by U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington, DC, on February 26, 2025.
Brian Snyder | Reuters
The Trump administration sent a second round of emails Friday night asking all federal employees to summarize the work of the past week as the first effort a week ago confuses them.
Reuters confirmed that the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, the government’s human resources department, has been sent to multiple agencies, asking workers to list five things they have done in a week.
This move marks a new push for billionaires Elon Musk His government efficiency force assesses the performance of government employees as the government hopes to lay off large numbers to greatly trim the federal footprint.
Musk wrote on X: “The president made it clear that this is a must for the executive branch.
Musk tried similar strategies last week, as well as the threat of potentially firing non-compliant workers, but he was confused when certain countries and departments such as the Justice Department told their employees to stick to the chain of command.
Ultimately, OPM informed the agency that replying to emails was voluntary.
But Musk, the president Donald Trump’s Support, continue to urge these emails to be what they say to keep workers accountable. Neither suggests that there are no salaries in federal employees.
Critics, including Democratic lawmakers and unions, say broad cuts could hinder key functions and services of the government.
The second round of emails does not include any threat of retaliation for the violation, but workers are expected to send a reply at the beginning of each work week.
According to media reports, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed Pentagon workers to comply, but the State Department once again told their employees to stop.
According to a memo reviewed by Reuters, the Department of Homeland Security told its employees to respond to an internal DHS email address, which was marked as “accountability” because of its national security responsibility.
The Justice Department also received instructions. A message seen by Reuters said that the District of Columbia attorney Ed Martin told workers to comply in the office.
“All federal government departments are working with @doge,” Musk released Saturday. “For the state, the Department of Defense and some others, the supervisor is collecting weekly achievements on behalf of individual contributors.”
Reuters was able to confirm that the emails had also been sent to staff at the IRS, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the National Institutes of Health. These agencies are targeted by Doge’s layoffs.
Musk’s team last week directed government agencies to submit plans by March 13 to “significantly reduce” the staffing of federal workforce personnel.
Layouts continue
About 100,000 workers have acquired or been fired after Trump sent Doge to send federal government personnel and spending. There are about 2.3 million federal employees in total.
Layouts occur so by chance that some agencies, such as the Food and Drug Administration, are forced to recall key personnel to ensure public safety.
On Friday, the Social Security Bureau, which issued welfare checks to tens of millions of Americans, said it would cut 7,000 people from the workforce and close several regional offices.
Recently, the Trump administration has inserted a team of tech-savvy civil servants, which has helped build the IRS’ free tax filing service and has been revised government-wide.
Thomas Shedd, director of GSA’s technology transformation services, said that among employees sent overnight to the General Services Administration (GSA) employees, Thomas Shedd said the team, known as the 18F, was identified as “non-critical.”
The department is composed at the end of the Barack Obama administration and is an internal technology consulting firm within the government, avoiding duplication and waste, simplifying bureaucratic processes, and making public-oriented websites more user-friendly.
Questions about Musk’s role and path are at the heart of several lawsuits trying to prevent them from accessing government systems and confidential data. The lawsuit claims Musk and the threshold are unconstitutional by waving an appointment only from a body created only from the U.S. Congress or through the U.S. Senate confirmed.
Musk’s actions also caused some tension and confusion among Trump’s White House aides, although Trump himself is said to have made complete efforts.
Tesla and SpaceX’s CEOs are not cabinet-level officials and do not face confirmation from the U.S. Senate. The Trump administration’s exact role in his role in Digg has been shirking.
