EFederal workers were stunned Friday when Elon Musk issued an ultimatum requiring them to list achievements or face termination, sparking chaos at the White House. Senior aides and cabinet members clashed over Musk’s disruptive methods, intensifying concerns about his unprecedented influence within Trump’s administration. Officials warned disruption could undermine federal stability.
Three government individuals informed of the situation stated that top advisers to President Trump are finding it difficult to control disagreements within the administration and at the White House as a whole in response to entrepreneur Elon Musk’s demand that federal employees detail their achievements or face termination.
According to two of those individuals, the White House was certain that senior staffers and Musk had been strengthening their collaboration before the weekend. Reuters stated earlier that several White House officials had voiced reservations about the strategies employed by Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency during the initial weeks of Trump’s term.
Two anonymous sources with knowledge of the talks said that chief of staff Susie Wiles had asked Musk to keep her informed of his plans rather than shocking her team with big choices. The discussions were sensitive, so they asked to remain anonymous.
An official with firsthand knowledge of the situation said that following that chat, Musk started informing Wiles of DOGE’s operations every day. Two of the people stated that the White House thought it had Musk’s OK to utilize the Office of Personnel Management to email federal employees without first obtaining approval from cabinet secretaries.
However, it seems like the idea went downhill quite fast. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) sent an email directing the nation’s 2.3 million civil-service employees to report on their work achievements after Trump urged Musk to “get more aggressive” with DOGE in a post on his Truth Social site on Saturday. Musk had earlier issued an ultimatum on his social networking site X, threatening to resign if he did not react to the request, which caused shockwaves in Washington. The email arrived soon after.
Reuters reports that some members of the Trump administration and employees weren’t the only ones who claimed to have been caught unawares. According to the three individuals, the White House was once again taken by surprise by one of Musk’s most significant and disruptive actions.
According to three individuals who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to their lack of authorization to speak to the media, Trump and Wiles did not approve the email. At Wednesday’s cabinet meeting, though, Musk revealed that he had spoken with Trump about the possibility of his team “send out an email to everyone, just saying: ‘What did you get done last week?’ The president said yes. So, I did that.”
Requests for comment regarding Musk’s and DOGE’s communications with the White House prior to the email’s distribution went unanswered.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt issued a statement in response to inquiries from Reuters, stating that the sources are “wrong” and that the “White House was not caught off guard.” According to her, the White House was informed by DOGE and the OPM before Trump approved Musk’s email proposal.
The media’s “obsession” with Trump, Musk, and DOGE, she claimed, is “pathetic” and evidence that they are still disconnected from the American people. “If the media spent the same amount of time uncovering waste, fraud, and abuse in our federal government as they do writing fake stories trying to drive a wedge between Elon Musk and President Trump, maybe the American people would actually respect them,” Leavitt said.
It would appear that the productivity email has brought to light the most profound divisions between the CEO of Tesla and senior White House officials that have existed since Musk and his collaborators started eliminating programs and laying off workers. Additionally, it implies that Musk, the wealthiest man in the world, has an unprecedented amount of independence in his position as a “special government employee.”
There are six sources close to the transition who say that after Musk spent $250 million to help elect Trump in November, he became an integral part of the transition team, showing up unannounced to meetings and trying to get his favored candidates for cabinet jobs appointed.
In a clandestine operation that began on January 20, Trump took office, Musk has worked to cut the US government. Who works with DOGE, how they do their jobs, and what they’re up to inside government agencies are all mysteries. A court motion from February 17 attempted to prevent DOGE from accessing the networks of the U.S. Treasury Department. In the filing, the White House stated that Musk is not the administrator nor an employee of DOGE; rather, he is a senior adviser to Trump and an employee of the White House.
However, Trump has stated time and time again in response to reporters’ inquiries that he is undeniably the motivating factor behind DOGE.
Many White House employees, including software experts who have previously worked for Musk’s firms, are becoming more frustrated with Musk and his small, isolated DOGE team.
But Trump, according to two sources familiar with Trump’s remarks and Trump’s public remarks, privately and publicly, he still stands by Musk. On Tuesday, when asked about the email that directed federal employees to document their accomplishments, Trump answered, “it’s somewhat voluntary. But it’s also, if you don’t answer, I guess you get fired.”
According to one insider, Trump “likes letting Elon be Elon” even if he didn’t personally approve the email.
On Tuesday, Leavitt stated that Musk was the one who conceptualized the email and collaborated with OPM to make it a reality. Leavitt emphasized.
However, resistance to Musk’s authority is showing signs of growth.
Employees should disregard the email, according to some authorities. After the initial Monday deadline passed, Musk on Tuesday gave federal employees “another chance” to reply to his ultimatum, implying some wiggle room. According to one of the officials, concerned cabinet heads have been contacting Wiles, who was a co-leader of Trump’s presidential campaign in 2024, regarding the email.
More massive layoffs may be on the horizon, according to orders issued Wednesday by the Trump administration to federal agencies. Since DOGE was sent to cut federal spending and staffing, around 100,000 workers have been let go or bought out.
The many cases that aim to prevent DOGE and Musk from accessing government systems and reduce programs are centered around questions about their roles. Many lawsuits claim that DOGE and Musk are acting in a way that is contrary to the Constitution since they have the kind of enormous power that can only be obtained through agencies established by Congress or by nominations that are confirmed by the Senate.
The changes at DOGE have been met with private frustration by at least two cabinet members, who are afraid of losing too many personnel and departmental authority, according to a Republican source who spoke with the two members. The source added that one of the cabinet members privately voiced their displeasure with Saturday’s ultimatum email to the White House.
They claimed to have recently spoken with six lawmakers who voiced their concerns about DOGE overreach, and they were accompanied by a Republican consultant with links to the Trump administration.
“But they’re all taking their cues from Trump,” the Republican advisor remarked. “Until he throws Musk off the cliff, they won’t do it.”
Luis Gochoco is a seasoned managing editor and writer with over a decade of experience covering politics, technology, gaming, and entertainment news. With a keen eye for breaking stories and in-depth analysis, he has established himself as a trusted voice in digital journalism. Luis is one of the key forces behind the success of GameNGuide, contributing to 12 million views through engaging and high-traffic content. He also played a pivotal role in generating 8 million views on International Business Times, shaping the platform’s technology and gaming coverage.
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