US President Donald Trump’s point person on government waste, Elon Musk, renewed his threat to fire federal workers who don’t comply with a demand to justify their jobs, despite the administration saying workers didn’t have to respond. A weekend email from Musk sparked confusion and raised questions about his authority within the administration.
Musk appointed by Trump to head a newly formed Department of Government Efficiency tasked with down-sizing the government, has been met with resistance from federal agencies and labor unions. Over 20,000 workers have been laid off as part of the downsizing effort, which has rippled into the US economy, forcing companies that do business with the government to lay off workers and defer payments.
A federal judge blocked Musk-led team from accessing sensitive data maintained by the US Education Department and OPM. Labor unions updated their lawsuit to challenge Musk’s email legality. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Musk’s remarks.
The US Office of Personnel Management released guidance stating that employees would not be let go for not replying to Musk’s email, making it voluntary. However, some agencies nudged employees to respond. A senior manager at the General Services Administration said the agency was still encouraging workers to answer the email even if it was voluntary.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/some-us-government-workers-told-justify-their-jobs-musk-others-told-ignore-him-2025-02-24