Elon Musk's stern warning to federal workers amid pushback over DOGE diktat: 'Failure will result in ...'

Elon Musk on Monday unleashed an offensive on X over a pushback by some US government agencies over an email sent by his department, DOGE, asking officials to submit a detailed accounting of their work week.

In multiple posts and interactions with users on X overnight, Musk criticised those who failed to comply a "trivial" request and warned that "failure to respond" for a second time will lead to termination.

"The email request was utterly trivial, as the standard for passing the test was to type some words and press send! Yet so many failed even that inane test, urged on in some cases by their managers. Have you ever witnessed such INCOMPETENCE and CONTEMPT for how YOUR TAXES are being spent? Makes old Twitter look good. Didn’t think that was possible," Musk said in a post, that he briefly pinned on his timeline.

The email request was utterly trivial, as the standard for passing the test was to type some words and press send!Yet so many failed even that inane test, urged on in some cases by their managers.Have you ever witnessed such INCOMPETENCE and CONTEMPT for how YOUR TAXES are https://t.co/QjSmY4ezpg

Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 24, 2025

The posts by Musk came in response to reports that some departments and officials asked staff to respond through a chain of command, apparently resisting attempts by Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to establish direct accountability.

There was swift resistance from several key US agencies led by the president's loyalists — including the State Department, Homeland Security and the Pentagon — which instructed their employees over the weekend not to respond. Lawmakers in both major political parties said Musk's mandate may be illegal.

Earlier, reports claimed that both the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said they will respond through a chain of command.

Responding to a post by right-wing political commentator Matt Walsh, Musk said that those who fail to comply to DOGE diktat for a second time will be fired.

"Fire any federal worker who didn’t answer the email. Fire any who complained publicly about the email. Fire any who complained privately about the email. Fire any who did anything but cheerfully and promptly answer it," Walsh had said.

Subject to the discretion of the President, they will be given another chance.Failure to respond a second time will result in termination. https://t.co/04xzgScXfj Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 25, 2025

To this, Musk responded: "Subject to the discretion of the President, they will be given another chance. Failure to respond a second time will result in termination."

Musk also cheekily posted a meme showing the iconic image of Greek hero Achilles with a tiny arrow hitting his heel. In the meme, Achilles represents the "Largest, Most Entrenched Bureaucracy on Earth" (a reference to government institutions) while the arrow is labeled "What did you get done last week?"

pic.twitter.com/UbATWBwbIp Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 25, 2025

The mail sent by Musk seeking an accounting of the work week of federal workers came with the subject line reading: “What did you do last week?”

President Donald Trump has also backed Elon Musk's demand that federal employees explain their recent accomplishments by the end of Monday or risk getting fired.

The government agency officials have been told that compliance with Musk's edict was voluntary. Confusion and anger over the situation spawned new litigation and added to turmoil within the federal workforce.