A Slap Against Musk’s Continuing Assumption of His Own Power
Acting on no apparent legal basis, Elon Musk demanded over the weekend that all federal employees file a brief email on what they’ve done in the last week or face dismissal, union contracts notwithstanding.
Whatever was meant as Musk bravado came across instead as ineffective trading on fear.
“Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation,” said the notices, many of which were not even addressed to specific employees, a trick Musk picked up from the takeover of social media company X. Musk has consistently shown a disdain for the work of federal employees.
The Department of Government Efficiency order to 2.3 million workers followed a social post urging from Donald Trump to “GET MORE AGGRESSIVE,” because dismissing upwards of what could be 200,000 probationary government workers seems insufficient. Answers were due by today at midnight.
That several federal agencies, including the Department of Defense, Homeland Security, the National Intelligence Director, even the FBI, where Trump’s hand-picked Kash Patel just became director, demurred, should indicate the toothless inanity of Musk’s move. The agencies told employees not to respond and insisted that there are internal agency checks work gets done — whether in the office or remotely. Those refusals came across as a slap against Musk’s continuing assumption of his own power at their expense.
No one knows who– or whose AI machine — will check, evaluate, or even read these emails or on what basis a threatened dismissal might take effect. Exactly what were intelligence officers supposed to report or medical researchers, an Army drill sergeant, or workers who were still trying to figure out if they even still had a job? Musk apparently ignored the “Efficiency” part of his own agency, which Trump says Musk either runs or doesn’t, depending on who is asking for legal responsibility.
In fact, one might say that such an effort is a “waste” of taxpayer money.
So it’s a mess. Nevertheless, I’m imagining what some of the responding emails with “5 bullets of what you accomplished last week” might say:
Donald Trump:
To: EM
–Overturned U.S. foreign policy to undercut ally Ukraine, abandon Europe, and promise fealty to Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
–Started rounding up undocumented with criminal convictions or even charges but having not found enough am now deporting families to Guantanamo.
–Cut off humanitarian aid to many millions in need of food and medicine as fraud, waste and corruption.
–Rewrote science to insist there are only two genders, saving competitive swimming and our military from hormone-filled weirdos, and American sentence structure from having to use appropriate prepositions.
–Declared myself king.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth:
Re: Defense of Work
–Insulted the NATO allies and undercut negotiations for Ukraine peace.
–Fired the top general and head of the Navy, giving no reason
–Showed off the “lethality” of the Trump military by sending troops to feed, house, and guard shackled, undocumented migrants at Guantanamo and Fort Bliss.
–Cut workers who help veterans
–Stayed publicly sober at work.
Attorney General Pam Bondi
Re: Work Filed
–Approved a bribery deal to temporarily drop charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams to keep him working to turn over migrants.
–Insisted we were dropping weaponization of the Justice Department as we open investigations of those who probed events leading to Jan. 6.
–Dropped prosecution of Civil Rights, halted consent agreements for policing, erased a police misconduct database.
–Decided it is perfectly ok for a foreign government to interfere with our elections. In fact, it is ok not to register as a foreign agent if you do business overseas.
–Promised to say no to Trump if he asks for something unconstitutional.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Dear Elon
–Ignored rising cases of measles and flu as I reconsidered vaccine policy.
–Insisted I was open to science while appointing anti-vaccine guys to review vaccine policy.
–Stayed silent as Congress was slicing Medicaid budgets for tax cuts.
–Tackled the central question of eliminating website mention of transgender treatments.
–Demanded we Make America Healthy Again, once I know what that means.
Musk’s email to himself was not recorded.
