Donald Trump has publicly urged Elon Musk to “get more aggressive” in his efforts to overhaul the federal workforce after Musk sent an email to all federal employees demanding they justify their jobs or be considered as having resigned.
Trump posted on X, “Elon is doing a great job, but I would like to see him get more aggressive. Remember, we have a country to save but ultimately, to make greater than ever before. MAGA!” Musk quickly responded, “Will do, Mr. President!”
A large number of good responses have been received already. These are the people who should be considered for promotion. https://t.co/Rc8sGBLemU
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 23, 2025
The email, which instructed employees to provide a list of their accomplishments from the past week, has received pushback from federal worker unions. Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, called it “cruel and disrespectful.” However, Musk claimed that a “large number of responses have been received already,” and suggested that those who responded should be “considered for promotion.”
Musk also alleged that the email revealed potential fraud, stating, “We believe non-existent people or the identities of dead people are being used to collect paychecks. In other words, there is outright fraud.” Trump doubled down on his support for mass government cuts at CPAC, saying, “We’re removing all of the unnecessary, incompetent, and corrupt bureaucrats from the federal workforce.”
