Major U.S. federal agencies including the FBI, Pentagon, and State Department are openly resisting Elon Musk’s cost-cutting mandate requiring employees to justify their work or face termination. The escalating conflict exposes deepening tensions between the Trump-aligned efficiency push and federal workforce protections.
Internal emails obtained by The Associated Press reveal widespread confusion:
- FBI Director Kash Patel ordered staff to ignore Musk’s demand
- Health and Human Services reversed compliance instructions twice within 24 hours
- Defense Department leadership advised employees to 'pause' responses
Having put in over 70 hours last week, I was personally insulted by this email, wrote HHS acting general counsel Sean Keveney in a scathing internal message. Security concerns and attorney-client privilege issues were cited as key reasons for noncompliance.
We believe employees have no obligation to respond to this plainly unlawful email from someone unelected and unhinged.- Everett Kelley, American Federation of Government Employees
The controversy stems from Musk’s Saturday ultimatum through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), demanding 48-hour productivity reports from federal workers. While Musk claims this cost-cutting measure targets non-existent peoplecollecting paychecks, no evidence supports these fraud allegations.
Legal experts and bipartisan lawmakers question the mandate’s validity. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) stated bluntly: The actions he’s taking are illegal. Over 800,000 government employees could be affected by ongoing workforce reductions, though exact termination figures remain unclear.
As agencies issue contradictory guidance, the White House continues backing Musk’s efficiency drive. President Trump amplified tensions Sunday by mocking resistant workers in a social media post, further complicating resolution efforts.