Elon Musk gave new chance to American federal officials to justify their professional activity under penalty of being sent back, by rejecting Sine Die the deadline of his ultimatum. The more than two million employees concerned were also in full confusion after receiving contradictory instructions from their hierarchies.
Somed by Donald Trump to be “more aggressive” in his mission to slar in public spending, the richest man on the planet had enjoined federal officials on Saturday to respond to an email, saying that “the lack of response “Before midnight Monday evening would be considered a” resignation “. “At the discretion of the president, civil servants have a new chance,” Elon Musk on Tuesday 25 February on Network X (ex-Twitter), which he has, adding that the lack of response “a second time will cause dismissal “.
The ally of the Republican President, however, did not give a new deadline to respond to the message entitled “What did you do last week?”, Sent by the Human Resources Service of the Federal Administration, the OPM , to the employees concerned. The OPM asked them for a response describing five tasks accomplished during the previous week, also to send to their manager. Only instructions: do not share confidential information.
“Half fired”
The initiative of Elon Musk, owner of X, boss of Tesla and SpaceX, known to expect from his own employees a total dedication, accentuated the confusion within an already under pressure apparatus. The email received by civil servants – and consulted by AFP – did not mention the risk of being considered as resigning in the event of lack of response.
As the time approaching, Donald Trump, who defended the background and the form by calling the message of Elon Musk as “brilliant”, said on Monday that those who do not answer would be “half fired “Or downright returned, without explaining his words. “If people do not answer, it most likely means that they do not exist or do not work,” he said before journalists.
Several services – including led by faithful from Donald Trump – nevertheless advised civil servants not to respond, at least immediately. Among them, the Ministry of Defense. This is also the case of officials appointed by the new Washington strong man at the FBI, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the national intelligence, according to American media.
On the other hand, the Ministry of Finance had asked its employees to do so before midnight on Monday. The objective: “to ensure that federal staff are making more accounts, as in the private sector,” said the Treasury Department in an email consulted by AFP. The ministry adds that responding “should not pose any difficulties or take a long time” to civil servants, and suggest that he contact a chief in case of doubt.
Some reserves among the Republicans
It is the most recent offensive of Elon Musk against a federal bureaucracy deemed too heavy and costly by Donald Trump and his supports, while his teams, grouped under the banner of a “Commission for the ‘Government efficiency “(DOGE), go from service to service to cut in expenses and dismiss staff.
AFGE, the main union of federal officials, has promised to challenge any “illegal” contract. “Once again, Elon Musk and the Trump administration have shown their total contempt for federal employees and the essential services they render to the American people,” said President Everett Kelley in a statement.
Reserves are starting to express themselves in the Republican camp. “If I could say one thing to Elon Musk, it would be ‘please, add a dose of compassion in there. They are real people. These are real lives’,” said during the weekend Utah republican senator John Curtis. It is “false to say that we have to save money and be cruel at the same time,” he added on the CBS television channel.
In just five weeks, the new executive left the frank cubits to Elon Musk to dismiss whole staff, cut into public spending and suspend the activity of regulatory bodies. The keystations of the federal state were entrusted to faithful from Donald Trump and thousands of employees during the trial were dismissed. Incitted to resign in exchange for a payroll maintained until the end of September, some 75,000 civil servants agreed to leave their post, according to the White House.