Musk and Trump Admin Split on Firings, Causing Confusion and Criticism

As Elon Musk and President Donald Trump move to fire government employees, some federal workers are reluctant to comply, and not all departments are on the same page.

DOGE Resignations: Over 20 employees resigned Tuesday from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), citing their refusal to use their technical expertise to “dismantle critical public services.”

Elon's Email: On Saturday, the Office of Personnel Management sent an email to all federal employees asking them to name five things they did last week by 11:59 p.m. on Monday. Musk said failure to respond would be taken as a resignation, and Trump publicly backed the email. Monday evening, Musk added “Subject to the discretion of the President, [employees] will be given another chance” to comply. “Failure to respond a second time will result in termination.” The email sparked confusion. The Justice Department, the FBI, the State Department, the Pentagon, the Department of Energy, the Department of Homeland Security and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence instructed employees to ignore it. The Transportation Department, the Education Department, the Department of Commerce and the National Transportation Safety Board, told workers to comply. A lawsuit submitted on Monday on behalf of the federal workers claims the workers cannot be fired for not responding. 

For Context: Several fired employees have been rehired, including FDA, USDA, and nuclear weapons workers. 

How The Media Covered It: DOGE resignations were covered across the political spectrum. Outlets on the left were more likely to frame Elon as in conflict with other federal agencies, while the right featured less criticism of DOGE.