Washington: At least three federal agencies, the FBI, State Department, and Pentagon, have instructed their employees to ignore a directive from Elon Musk, who currently heads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under President Donald Trump's administration, as reported by media outlets on Sunday. Musk had demanded employees report their job performance, warning that failure to respond would be seen as a resignation. He asserted that this requirement aligns with President Trump's instructions.
According to Anadolu Agency, FBI Director Kash Patel advised personnel to "pause any responses," emphasizing that the agency would conduct its internal reviews independently. Similarly, a State Department official made it clear that employees are not obligated to report their activities outside their department's chain of command.
The Department of Defense shared this stance, with senior Pentagon official Darrin Selnick communicating to staff via email that the department would coordinate any necessary responses to the Office of Personnel Management's email. The White House has not commented on the situation, though President Trump has publicly praised Musk's endeavors, stating that DOGE is combating government waste, fraud, and abuse.
President Trump also took to Truth Social to endorse Musk's efforts, describing them as a "great job" in reducing the federal workforce and encouraging more aggressive actions. However, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) criticized the move. Union President Everett Kelley labeled it as 'cruel and disrespectful,' particularly toward government employees, including military veterans, who are being forced to justify their roles to Musk, whom Kelley described as an "out-of-touch, privileged, unelected billionaire."
The union, representing over 750,000 federal workers, has vowed to challenge any unjust terminations. Since Musk assumed leadership of DOGE, his team has significantly reduced federal jobs, with claims that 75,000 federal workers have accepted buyouts as part of 'deferred resignations.' Additionally, Trump recently revoked the remote work option for federal employees, warning that non-compliance with in-office work requirements would result in termination.