Trump Defends Musk’s Controversial Move
President Donald Trump recently came to the defense of tech mogul Elon Musk after backlash surrounding an email Musk sent to federal employees, demanding that they list five accomplishments from the past week or risk losing their jobs. The email, sent to employees in various government agencies, instructed them to submit their list of achievements by 11:59 p.m. EST on Monday to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump praised Musk’s approach, saying there was a lot of wisdom in the directive. “We’re trying to determine if people are actually doing their jobs,” he said. “If someone doesn’t respond, it could mean they aren’t working, or worse, they might not even exist as an employee.”
Trump went on to suggest that some federal workers might not even show up to work, pointing to the inefficiencies in the government, particularly under the Biden administration. He also hinted that this move was necessary to weed out underperforming or non-existent government employees. “What he’s doing is asking, ‘Are you really working? If you’re not, then maybe it’s time to part ways.’” Trump added that it was a necessary step to ensure that taxpayer money isn’t being wasted on employees who aren’t contributing.
As expected, many government agencies, including the Pentagon, FBI, State Department, and intelligence agencies, have instructed their employees to disregard the email due to concerns about national security and confidentiality. However, Trump dismissed these concerns, suggesting that Musk’s request was not made in a confrontational way. “It’s not combative,” he stated. “He’s just trying to get answers and find out who’s really working for the government.”
Meanwhile, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has encouraged employees to comply with the email, further fueling the debate on government efficiency. The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) has raised questions about the legality of the directive, challenging it in a lawsuit. But Trump remains confident that Musk’s bold move is the right approach to drain the swamp and hold government workers accountable.
In the eyes of many Republicans, this is a prime example of Musk bringing some much-needed accountability to the bureaucracy and putting pressure on an often-overstaffed and underperforming federal workforce.
