Elon Musk sent a threatening email to U.S. government employees, demanding they comply within 48 hours or face termination. Appointed to lead the Department of Government Efficiency, Musk’s email ordered federal workers to list five things they accomplished the previous week and send it to their managers.
The email, sent from a generic “HR” account, had a deadline and warned that failure to respond would be considered resignation. Musk, in a follow-up post, stated this was a “check” to see if employees were capable of responding.
The email was met with backlash from staff and unions, with critics accusing Musk of being out of touch with public service. Musk’s CPAC appearance, where he waved a chainsaw to represent “cutting bureaucracy,” also sparked controversy for its insensitivity toward workers’ livelihoods.