“What did you do last week?” Musk DOGE email causes infighting among Trump Administration

“What did you do last week?” the title of an email sent on Saturday, February 22, 2025, asked employees to detail their accomplishments from the previous week, with a deadline set for 11:59 p.m. TODAY.

Musk later elaborated that the purpose was to identify who was actively contributing, stating it was a test to see “who had a pulse and two working neurons.” He framed it as a simple accountability measure, suggesting that failure to respond would be interpreted as a lack of productivity, potentially tantamount to a resignation.

This move aligns with Musk’s aggressive push to shrink the federal workforce, a mission driven by DOGE, which has already laid off over 20,000 workers and offered buyouts to another 75,000 since Trump’s administration began. The initiative reflects Trump’s directive to Musk to “get more aggressive” in cutting government spending, amid a broader narrative of tackling the U.S.’s $36 trillion debt. Musk has publicized this effort with flair—think chainsaws at CPAC—while Trump has egged him on, even posting a SpongeBob meme mocking federal workers upset by the scrutiny.

However, the email has sparked chaos and resistance. The actual message, sent from an Office of Personnel Management (OPM) address, didn’t explicitly threaten termination, contradicting Musk’s X post claiming non-responders would be out. This mismatch has fueled confusion, especially since OPM guidance historically labels responses to such mass emails as “voluntary,” and many federal workers enjoy civil service protections against arbitrary firing. Agencies like the FBI, State Department, and Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Education, and Commerce have told staff to hold off on replying, awaiting further direction. Newly confirmed Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard joined this chorus, instructing intelligence officers to ignore the email, following FBI Director Kash Patel’s similar stance.

Critics, including Democratic Senator Tina Smith, have blasted Musk’s approach as heavy-handed and lacking compassion, with Smith calling him a “d–k boss” for what she sees as a cruel tactic to target “real people with real lives.” Others, like some federal workers and even Republican-leaning voices, argue the blunt method undermines morale and overlooks critical roles—like those securing nuclear arsenals or fighting bird flu outbreaks—that can’t be easily quantified in a five-bullet-point email.

The episode highlights a tension within Trump’s administration: Musk’s brash, outsider style clashing with established chains of command and legal realities. As of today, February 24, 2025, federal workers face a deadline looming in less than 17 hours, with no clear resolution to the conflicting signals.

17GEN4.com