On Saturday, on the behest of unelected billionaire Elon Musk, the Workplace of Personnel Administration emailed over 2 million federal staff, with the topic line “What did you do last week?” demanding they listing roughly 5 duties they achieved up to now week. To up the stakes, Musk posted on his X platform, “Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation.”
And the outrage has been swift.
The unions for 2 teams of presidency workers—the American Federation of Authorities Workers and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Workers—filed a lawsuit on Sunday, saying that OPM’s demand “has not complied with any procedural requirements” beneath the Administrative Process Act, which states that it should first present a notice-and-comment interval beforehand.
“Once again, Elon Musk and the Trump Administration have shown their utter disdain for federal employees and the critical services they provide to the American people,” AFGE President Everett Kelley stated in a press launch. “It is cruel and disrespectful to hundreds of thousands of veterans who are wearing their second uniform in the civil service to be forced to justify their job duties to this out-of-touch, privileged, unelected billionaire who has never performed one single hour of honest public service in his life.”
Federal companies such because the FBI, State Division, and Pentagon are additionally reportedly blowing Musk off by instructing their workers to disregard his ridiculous request.
“The FBI, through the Office of the Director, is in charge of all of our review processes, and will conduct reviews in accordance with FBI procedures,” wrote newly confirmed FBI Director Kash Patel in an e mail. “When and if further information is required, we will coordinate the responses. For now, please pause any responses.”
On Monday, the Trump administration reportedly plans to stroll again the order, in accordance with Politico. It plans to present the companies some allowance in how a lot they adhere to the request.
Nevertheless, that’s unlikely to cease the backlash.
Activists took to the Reddit web page for 50501—which stands for 50 protests, 50 states, in the future—to share the e mail handle supplied within the OPM e mail ([email protected]), with the objective of “flood[ing] the servers” with spam. Practically 500 feedback have poured in on one Reddit thread, with customers sharing that they had been signing up the e-mail handle for erectile dysfunction merchandise, intercourse store e mail lists, and hair plug commercials.
“I spent a while signing him up for support groups for men with botched penile implants,” one consumer wrote.
“Be careful though with what email you use! A throwaway is best and definitely nothing associated with your professional/work lives,” one other consumer wrote.
Democratic senators additionally harm Musk’s emotions on X over the weekend.
After Washington Sen. Patty Murray’s scathing speech on the Senate flooring by which she blamed Musk’s anti-government workings on his allegedly poor studying comprehension expertise, Musk replied to her on X and requested, in a not-at-all-triggered approach, “What did you get done this week?”
“I work for the people of WA state, not you,” Murray replied.
Democratic Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota was additionally on the assault.
“This is the ultimate dick boss move from Musk – except he isn’t even the boss, he’s just a dick,” Smith wrote on X on Saturday to a screenshot of Musk’s risk to federal staff. Her phrasing right here—calling Musk, nicely, a dick—is turning into fashionable on the left.
“I bet a lot of people have had an experience like this with a bad boss – there’s an email in your inbox on Saturday night saying, ‘Prove to me your worthiness by Monday or else.’ I’m on the side of the workers, not the billionaire asshole bosses,” she added.
Nevertheless, some are keen to problem Musk.
Ever the sycophant, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. reportedly instructed his 80,000 workers on the Division of Well being and Human Companies to conform. And even Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia, who beat fashionable New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for a management place, instructed staff to give in to the absurd demand.
Musk may suppose he’s operating a tech start-up the place workers leap at his each whim, however the federal authorities doesn’t work like that. With unions, lawmakers, and even whole companies brazenly defying his ridiculous calls for, it seems civil servants aren’t as simply bullied as Tesla interns.
