Elon Musk, appointed by President Donald Trump to lead the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency, has once again threatened to fire federal employees who fail to justify their jobs, despite assurances from the administration that they are not required to respond to his demands.
The controversy erupted after Musk sent an email over the weekend ordering federal workers to summarize their roles or risk termination.
The directive caused confusion across government agencies, raising questions about the extent of Musk’s authority within the administration.
On Monday, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the agency overseeing federal employees, clarified that workers were not obligated to comply with Musk’s request.
However, as the deadline for responses neared, Musk doubled down on his stance.
In a post on X, Musk dismissed the task as a simple requirement, stating, “The standard for passing the test was to type some words and press send. Yet so many failed even that inane test, urged on in some cases by their managers.”
Musk indicated that noncompliant employees might get another chance but warned that repeated refusal to respond could result in termination.
“Subject to the discretion of the president, they will be given another chance. Failure to respond a second time will result in termination,” he wrote.