Elon Musk's 'justify your job' ultimatum to federal employees meets FBI resistance
Elon Musk’s directive requiring federal employees to justify their jobs faced resistance, with FBI Director Kash Patel instructing staff to ignore it. While Trump backed Musk, agencies pushed back, calling it to overreach. Despite the controversy, Musk praised responders, escalating tensions over his government's efficiency efforts.
FollowElon Musk’s latest move to shake up the federal workforce has hit a roadblock, with the FBI refusing to comply with his controversial directive. The billionaire, who recently took on the unofficial role of "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE) czar, sent an email to all federal employees demanding they justify their jobs by listing their weekly accomplishments.
The email, titled “What did you do last week?”, instructed federal employees to provide a five-bullet-point summary of their work and copy their managers. The catch? Non-compliance would be treated as a voluntary resignation.
Musk justified his move by stating it was “consistent with President @realDonaldTrump’s instructions.” He also made it clear that those who responded would be prioritized for promotions. However, the email itself did not explicitly mention termination, only setting a deadline of Monday at 11:59 PM ET for responses.
Not everyone took Musk’s directive seriously. FBI Director Kash Patel swiftly responded with an internal memo instructing FBI employees to ignore the email.
"FBI staff might have received an email from OPM requesting details. The FBI, through the Office of the Director, is in charge of all of our review processes and will conduct reviews by FBI procedures. For now, please pause any responses,” Patel wrote.
This move signalled that the FBI does not take orders from Musk, reinforcing that federal agencies operate under their internal procedures.
Despite the pushback, Donald Trump threw his support behind Musk, calling him a “patriot” and encouraging him to be even “more aggressive” in his efforts to bring accountability to the federal government.
Musk, unfazed by the criticism, took to X (formerly Twitter) to praise employees who had responded to his email. “A significant number of positive responses have already been received. These are the people who should be considered for promotion,” he posted, along with a meme of himself in an Uncle Sam hat.
Musk’s directive sent shockwaves across government departments, leaving agencies scrambling for guidance. The Department of Veterans Affairs, national security agencies, and other federal offices advised employees to ignore the email until they received official instructions.
One doctor from the Department of Veterans Affairs told AFP, “I have so much work to do. I am not going to neglect actual patient care for this drama.”
Musk, however, appeared to downplay the backlash. In another X post, he clarified that the bar for responses was very low, saying that any answer that “makes any sense at all” would be accepted.
Elon Musk’s new X display picture: 'DOGEfather' look with a red chainsaw goes viral!
With Kash Patel flexing his authority and federal employees pushing back, Musk’s attempt to streamline government operations has turned into a bureaucratic standoff.
While some employees have complied with his request, others see it as an overreach. Whether Musk will escalate his efforts or back down remains to be seen, but one thing is clear—his presence in Washington is already causing a stir.
subscribe to Asianet Newsable WhatsApp channel by clicking here.
