The email roiled many federal workers who stressed that they report to their agencies, not to OPM—and in many cases already internally report their activities regularly. President Trump suggested some people on the federal payroll "are not real people, like they’re literally fictional individuals." Image: Danille Nicole Wilson/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffBoth President Trump and DOGE project director Elon Musk have raised the possibility of a second government-wide mail like the one sent out last weekend asking employees to describe what they did the previous week, along with a remaining possibility of discipline against employees who did not respond to the first.
That email roiled many federal workers who stressed that they report to their agencies, not to OPM—and in many cases already internally report their activities regularly—and who resented Musk’s statement on social media that those who did not respond would be deemed to have resigned. Security concerns and the general confusion caused several agencies to tell their employees that they need not—and even should not—respond, and OPM in a call Monday (February 24) reportedly consented to leaving the decision on requiring a response in their hands.
However, Trump at the same time indicated that disciplinary action could yet be taken against those who didn’t respond, saying they would be not respond would be “sort of semi-fired.” And OPM guidance the following day was not definitive, mainly addressing side issues such as employees who didn’t receive the email due to being on leave or other reasons.
In a press gathering with Trump on Thursday, Musk said, “I think that email, perhaps, was misinterpreted as a performance review, but actually it was a pulse check review . . . what we are trying to get to the bottom of is we think there are a number of people on the government payroll who are dead, which is probably why they can’t respond, and some people who are not real people, like they’re literally fictional individuals.”
“We’re going to send another email . . . we want to give people every opportunity to send an email and the email could simply be “What I’m working on is too sensitive or classified to describe.” Like, literally, that would be sufficient. I think this is just common sense.”
Said Trump, “I think Elon wants to [send a second email]. And I think it’s a good idea because, you know, those people, as I said before, they’re on the bubble. You got a lot of people that have not responded, so we’re trying to figure out, do they exist? Who are they? And it’s possible that a lot of those people will be actually fired. And if that happened, that’s okay, because that’s what we’re trying to do.”
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