Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Photo: Patrick Pleul
Elon Musk, who was appointed by the Donald Trump administration to head the US Government Performance and Accountability Office (GPO), is introducing tougher controls over civil servants. According to AFP, the billionaire said that all federal employees will receive an email demanding to explain what they have done over the past week.
“As agreed with President Donald Trump, all government employees will soon receive an email with a question: “What did you do last week?”, Musk wrote on his X platform.
According to the documents obtained by AFP, the letter asks employees to provide a list of five completed tasks by Monday 23:59 (US Eastern Time). At the same time, the letter does not officially mention the possibility of dismissal for failure to respond.
Trade union resistance and the reaction of civil servants
The main civil servants’ union, AFGE, has already promised to challenge any illegal dismissal.
“Elon Musk and the Trump administration have once again demonstrated a complete disregard for federal employees and the important services they provide to the American people,” said AFGE President Everett Kelly.
Some federal agencies are advising their employees not to respond to Musk’s letter, pending further clarification.
Trump wants more budget cuts
Trump has previously stated that he expects Musk to cut government spending even more aggressively.
“Elon is doing a great job, but I’d like to see him be even more decisive,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
At the initiative of the Trump administration, many federal agencies have already laid off workers, and thousands of civil servants who were still on probation have been fired. The Washington Post reports that more than 75,000 employees have agreed to voluntary resignations in exchange for severance packages.
