Trump backs Musk as he roils federal workforce with demands, threats

Trump supports Musk's demand for federal employees to explain accomplishments, sparking confusion, anger, and legal challenges within the workforce.

President Donald Trump backed Elon Musk’s demand that federal employees explain their recent accomplishments by the end of Monday (February 24, 2025) or risk getting fired, even as government agency officials were told that compliance with Mr. Musk’s edict was voluntary.

Confusion and anger over the situation spawned new litigation and added to turmoil within the federal workforce.

“What he’s doing is saying, ‘Are you actually working?’” Mr. Trump said in the Oval Office during a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron. “And then, if you don’t answer, like, you’re sort of semi-fired or you’re fired, because a lot of people aren’t answering because they don’t even exist.”

The Republican president said Mr. Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has found “hundreds of billions of dollars in fraud” as he suggested that federal paychecks are going to non-existent employees. He did not present evidence for his claims.

Even as Mr. Trump and Mr. Musk pressed their case, the Office of Personnel Management informed agency leaders that their workers were not required to respond by the deadline of 11:59 p.m. EST Monday (February 24, 2025), according to a person with knowledge of the conversation who requested anonymity to discuss internal matters.

The conflicting directives led to varying advice for federal employees, depending on where they work. Some were told to answer the request for a list of five things that they did last week, others were informed it was optional, and others were directed not to answer at all.

Mr. Musk bristled at resistance, saying federal workers “hate even the tiniest amount of accountability.” He continued to threaten firings hours after employees were told that they didn’t need to comply with his demands.