A Pentagon official dismissed the email, calling it the ‘most absurd thing in four decades.’
Elon Musk has explained his decision to send all federal workers an ultimatum via email over the weekend, a move that critics dismissed as ‘silly.’
Musk, leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) task force focused on reducing government expenses, sent federal employees an unexpected email on Saturday, February 22, issuing a stark ultimatum: respond or risk losing their jobs.
In the email, Musk required staff to submit a list of five tasks they had completed in the past week by 11:59 PM on Monday—or face resignation. The demand sent shockwaves through the workforce, sparking widespread panic over the weekend.
Posting on Twitter, Musk stated that employees were required to report “what they got done last week,” warning that failure to respond “will be taken as resignation.”
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the government’s HR agency, confirmed the email’s authenticity in a statement to CBS.
According to the BBC, staff were instructed to list their accomplishments in five bullet points. One Pentagon official reportedly told CNN, “It’s the silliest thing I’ve seen in 40 years and completely usurps the chain of command.”
Several key U.S. departments reportedly advised their staff not to comply with Musk’s demands. However, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO stated on Twitter that he had already received a “large number of good responses” as of Sunday, February 23. He added, “These are the people who should be considered for promotion.”
The move followed President Donald Trump’s directive last week for Musk—nicknamed his “First Buddy”—to “get more aggressive.”
Now, the billionaire tech mogul has revealed the true reason behind his controversial email.
Posting on Twitter, Musk stated that he issued the directive to “see who had a pulse and two working neurons.”
Musk also suggested that many government employees don’t even check their emails, implying that the task was less about their responses and more about who was paying attention and willing to reply.
“This was basically a check to see if the employee had a pulse and was capable of replying to an email,” he wrote on Twitter.
He added, “A lot of people are in for a rude awakening and a strong dose of reality. They don’t get it yet, but they will.”
However, several department leaders instructed their staff not to comply with Musk’s directive. Newly appointed FBI Director Kash Patel urged his team to hold off, while intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard also advised her staff to ignore the email.
In a message to FBI personnel, Patel stated:
“FBI personnel may have received an email from OPM requesting information. The FBI, through the Office of the Director, is in charge of all our review processes and will conduct reviews in accordance with FBI procedures.”
He concluded with, “For now, please pause any responses.”
Similarly, Gabbard instructed intelligence community employees, “Given the inherently sensitive and classified nature of our work, I.C. employees should not respond to the OPM email.”
According to The Daily Mail, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and Department of Homeland Security Chief Kristi Noem also instructed their teams to disregard the email.
Despite the pushback, Musk remained firm, stating that anyone who shared the attitude of the Pentagon insider who criticized his directive “needs to look for a new job.”
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) claims it has already saved $55 billion through various cost-cutting initiatives. These measures include canceling contracts and leases, selling government assets, and identifying fraud across multiple agencies, including education, personnel management, health and human services, agriculture, and international development.
