Multiple US agencies have warned employees not to respond immediately to Elon Musk’s demand for weekly work reports. His chaotic push to reduce the government workforce has triggered tension across departments.

Agencies Push Back Against Musk’s Order

Trump-appointed officials at the FBI and State Department instructed staff to follow proper chains of command. As a result, they told employees not to respond to Musk’s request. This move signals growing friction between the administration and Musk’s aggressive downsizing strategy.

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FBI Director Kash Patel reinforced the agency’s position. He stated, “The FBI, through the office of the director, is in charge of all our review processes.”

Mass Layoffs and Government Disruptions

Musk leads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has already laid off over 20,000 workers. Furthermore, the agency has offered buyouts to another 75,000 employees. The job cuts span several departments, including Defense and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, where all staff were ordered to stop working.

As a result, the rapid workforce reduction has left critical gaps. Consequently, the government is now rushing to rehire specialists to manage nuclear security and combat the avian flu outbreak, which has sent egg prices soaring.

Employees Face Pressure to Report Work

On Saturday, federal employees received an email requiring them to submit reports by Monday night. The email’s subject read, “What did you do last week?” It came from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM); however, it did not include Musk’s threat of termination.

Meanwhile, Musk posted on X that failure to respond would be treated as a resignation. Shortly after, employees across multiple departments, including Defense, Homeland Security, and Commerce, were advised not to reply until further notice. Likewise, intelligence agencies received similar guidance.

A senior official at the National Centers for Environmental Information raised concerns. “To be clear – this is irregular, unexpected, and warrants further validation,” they wrote.

Mixed Reactions from Officials

Some welcomed the directive. For instance, Ed Martin, Trump’s interim nominee for U.S. Attorney in Washington, D.C., praised Musk’s efforts.

However, other Justice Department offices, including the civil division, advised employees to wait for more information. On the other hand, the Drug Enforcement Administration instructed its staff to respond.

Unions Challenge Musk’s Authority

The American Federation of Government Employees quickly pushed back against Musk’s demand. The union argued he lacked the authority to fire non-compliant employees. Therefore, it vowed to ask OPM to retract the message.

Meanwhile, the union advised workers to seek direct instructions from their supervisors. Nevertheless, many employees felt anxious after weeks of uncertainty. “I really wonder when someone is going to say, ‘Enough,’” an IRS employee told Reuters.

Government and Public Reactions

Several federal agencies declined to comment. The FBI refused to respond, and the State Department referred inquiries to the White House.

At the same time, Musk defended his directive on X. He called it “a very basic pulse check” and criticized those who opposed it.

“EXTREMELY troubling that some parts of government think this is TOO MUCH!! What is wrong with them??” he wrote.

Similarly, Senator John Curtis, a Republican from Utah, agreed with reducing government spending but urged Musk to act with compassion. “These are real people. These are real lives. These are mortgages,” he said on CBS News. “We can cut without being cruel.”

Judiciary and Legal Concerns

Even federal judiciary employees, including judges, received the email. However, the judiciary instructed staff not to take action, emphasizing that the courts are independent of the executive branch.

In many cases, workers struggled to decide how to respond. For example, lawyers feared breaching confidentiality. Additionally, employees at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, already ordered to stop working, found little to report.

Meanwhile, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie condemned the directive. He called it “a complete overstep” and predicted legal challenges. “From a management perspective, you can see what a clown car this is right now,” Christie said on ABC News.