Trouble Brewing In Trump’s Govt, As Key Agencies Flat Musk’s Latest Demand
All is seems not well as Key U.S. agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and State Department, are not prepared to take the instruction of cost-cutting chief Elon Musk’s demand that federal workers explain what they accomplished last week or risk losing their jobs.
That resistance is giving a signal and sense trouble, while highlighting a potential power struggle among President Donald Trump’s allies that is affecting federal employees across the country as a new workweek is about to begin.
Recall that Musk’s team sent an email to hundreds of thousands of federal employees on Saturday giving them roughly 48 hours to report five specific things they had accomplished last week. In a separate message on X, Musk said any employee who failed to respond by the deadline — set in the email as 11:59 p.m. EST Monday — would lose their job.
Democrats and even some Republicans were critical of Musk’s unusual directive, which came just hours after Trump encouraged him on social media to “get more aggressive” in reducing the size of the government through his so-called Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.
Assessing Musk’s threat for noncompliance, Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., said, ““I don’t know how that’s necessarily feasible. Obviously, a lot of federal employees are under union contract.”
However, Labor unions have threatened lawsuits, while several agency leaders, including Trump appointees, encouraged their workers not to cooperate.
Newly confirmed FBI Director Kash Patel, an outspoken Trump ally, instructed bureau employees to ignore Musk’s request, at least for now.
“The FBI, through the Office of the Director, is in charge of all of our review processes, and will conduct reviews in accordance with FBI procedures,” Patel wrote in an email confirmed by The Associated Press. “When and if further information is required, we will coordinate the responses. For now, please pause any responses.”
Core Reporters report that Ed Martin, the interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia who has been nominated for the job by the Republican president, sent his staff a message Sunday that may cause more confusion. Martin noted that he himself responded to the request for last week’s accomplishments.
“Let me clarify: We will comply with this OPM request whether by replying or deciding not to reply,” Martin wrote in the email obtained by the Core Reporters, referring to the Office of Personnel Management
“Please make a good faith effort to reply and list your activities (or not, as you prefer), and I will, as I mentioned, have your back regarding any confusion,” Martin continued. “We can do this.”
The night before, Martin had instructed staff to comply with Musk’s order. “DOGE and Elon are doing great work. Historic. We are happy to participate,” Martin wrote at that time.
Meanwhile, officials at the State Department, where Marco Rubio is Trump’s secretary of state, were more direct.
Tibor Nagy, acting undersecretary for management, told employees in an email that department leadership would respond on behalf of workers.
“No employee is obligated to report their activities outside of their Department chain of command,” Nagy wrote, according to an email obtained by the Core Reporters.
Since the second coming of President Trump reports said thousands of government employees have already been forced out of the federal workforce; either by being fired or through a “deferred resignation.
AP
