Elon Musk, who is overseeing the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) effort, took aim at Democrats in Congress after he revealed on Saturday that federal employees would receive an email requesting they explain what they got done in the past week.
It all played out on Musk’s social media platform, X, where he has kept the public apprised of his bid to help cut wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars.
“Consistent with President [Donald Trump’s] instructions, all federal employees will shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week,” Musk said in a post. “Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation.”
Consistent with President @realDonaldTrump’s instructions, all federal employees will shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week.
Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 22, 2025
Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN), who recently announced she would not run for re-election in 2026, shared a screenshot of Musk’s post and said: “This is the ultimate dick boss move from Musk – except he isn’t even the boss, he’s just a dick.”
Musk replied with a simple query: “What did you get done last week?”
What did you get done last week?
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 23, 2025
Smith shot back.
“I hate to break it to you but you aren’t my boss. I answer to the people of Minnesota,” Smith said. “But since you bring it up, I spent last week fighting to stop tax breaks for billionaires like you, paid for by defunding health care for moms and babies.”
.@ElonMusk I hate to break it to you but you aren’t my boss. I answer to the people of Minnesota.
But since you bring it up, I spent last week fighting to stop tax breaks for billionaires like you, paid for by defunding health care for moms and babies. https://t.co/gzarLmg3Z5
— Senator Tina Smith (@SenTinaSmith) February 23, 2025
Musk posed a similar question to Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), who shared a video of herself delivering remarks in which she defended federal spending that has come under scrutiny from DOGE.
“What did you get done this week?” Musk asked in response.
What did you get done this week?
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 23, 2025
The email to federal workers, sent out by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), had a subject line that asked, “What did you do last week?” It requested employees reply with a list of approximately five accomplishments and carbon-copy their managers. A deadline of Monday at 11:59 EST was also given.
The email does not state that failure to respond will be taken as resignation… meaning workers would not know unless they saw Elon’s tweet https://t.co/eGzQPod4hi pic.twitter.com/oKGoJHTbX4
— Jacqui Heinrich (@JacquiHeinrich) February 23, 2025
Some agencies, including the FBI and State Department, have instructed their personnel to ignore the email, noting they have their own procedures. Still, Musk revealed that responses have already been submitted.
“A large number of good responses have been received already. These are the people who should be considered for promotion,” Musk said in one post to X.
A large number of good responses have been received already. These are the people who should be considered for promotion. https://t.co/Rc8sGBLemU
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 23, 2025
He defended the email in another post.
“The reason this matters is that a significant number of people who are supposed to be working for the government are doing so little work that they are not checking their email at all!” Musk said. “In some cases, we believe non-existent people or the identities of dead people are being used to collect paychecks. In other words, there is outright fraud.”
The reason this matters is that a significant number of people who are supposed to be working for the government are doing so little work that they are not checking their email at all!
In some cases, we believe non-existent people or the identities of dead people are being used… https://t.co/Rj5Xe6vYZB
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 23, 2025
Musk also reacted to the White House’s “Rapid Response” account on X which shared a copy of the OPM on X and took the opportunity to make it into a thread about Trump’s accomplishments over the past week.
“Just got this email. Where do we begin?” the account said in its first post.
Musk replied: “That would be a very impressive and long list indeed for you! However, the passing grade is literally just ‘Can you send an email with words that make any sense at all?’. It’s a low bar.”
That would be a very impressive and long list indeed for you!
However, the passing grade is literally just “Can you send an email with words that make any sense at all?”.
It’s a low bar. https://t.co/D3AlfUfdeQ
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 23, 2025