Elon Musk holds up a chainsaw he received from Argentina's President Javier Milei, right, as they arrive to speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, in Oxon Hill, Md. (AP File)

- “What he’s doing is saying, ‘Are you actually working?’” Trump says Monday.
- “If people don’t respond, it’s very possible that there is no such person, or they aren’t working," Trump says.
- Attorneys representing unions, businesses, veterans, and conservation groups file updated lawsuit on Monday.
Share
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump voiced support for Elon Musk’s demand that federal employees explain their recent accomplishments by the end of Monday or risk getting fired, an edict that has spawned new litigation and added to turmoil within the government workforce.
“What he’s doing is saying, ‘Are you actually working?’” Trump said in the Oval Office during a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron. “And then, if you don’t answer, like, you’re sort of semi-fired or you’re fired, because a lot of people aren’t answering because they don’t even exist.”
The Republican president said that Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has found “hundreds of billions of dollars in fraud” as he suggested that federal paychecks are going to nonexistent employees. He did not present evidence for his claims.
“If people don’t respond, it’s very possible that there is no such person, or they aren’t working,” Trump said.
Lawsuit Is Updated Monday
Attorneys representing unions, businesses, veterans and conservation organizations filed an updated lawsuit in federal court in California on Monday, arguing Musk had violated the law with his demand. The Office of Personnel Management, which functions as a human resources agency for the federal government, told employees to detail five things they did last week by the end of Monday.
The lawsuit, spearheaded by the State Democracy Defenders Fund, called the threat of mass firings “one of the most massive employment frauds in the history of this country.”
The White House criticized the litigation.
“In the time it took these employees on taxpayer-funded salaries to file a frivolous lawsuit, they could have briefly recapped their accomplishments to their managers, as is common in the private sector, 100 times over,” said Anna Kelly, a deputy press secretary, in a statement.
Musk is leading Trump’s efforts to overhaul and downsize the federal government, and they’ve already caused upheaval by pushing employees to resign, laying off probationary workers and halting work at some agencies.
However, there are signs Musk is testing the limits of his influence, and some administration officials told employees not to respond to his demand. It has been the most significant public divergence between the billionaire entrepreneur and Senate-approved Cabinet leaders, who have otherwise been enthusiastic about fulfilling Musk’s objectives.
Musk: ‘A Basic Pulse Check’
Trump dismissed the idea there was any kind of split involving his most powerful adviser.
“They don’t mean that in any way combatively with Elon,” he said, adding that “everyone thought it was a pretty ingenious idea.”
Musk on Sunday called his latest request “a very basic pulse check.”
“The reason this matters is that a significant number of people who are supposed to be working for the government are doing so little work that they are not checking their email at all!” Musk wrote on X. “In some cases, we believe non-existent people or the identities of dead people are being used to collect paychecks.”
RELATED TOPICS:
No. 15 Overall Seed UCLA Eases Past Fresno State Behind a Season-High 22 Hits
5 hours ago
Judge and Ohtani Light Up the First Inning With Historic Homers in Yankees-Dodgers Rematch
5 hours ago
Chapman Homers, Harrison Pitches Five Scoreless Innings as Giants Beat Marlins
5 hours ago
General Is a Good Boy — in English and Spanish
6 hours ago
Visalia Police Hand Out 55 Citations During Motorcycle Safety Crackdown
6 hours ago
How Gentrification Is Killing the Bus: California’s Rising Rents Are Pushing Out Commuters
8 hours ago
California Gubernatorial Candidate Steve Hilton Vows to Repeal Transgender Athlete Law
47 minutes ago
Categories

California Gubernatorial Candidate Steve Hilton Vows to Repeal Transgender Athlete Law

Trans Athlete Competes in California Championships in Clovis Despite National Controversy

Tim Walz Urges Democrats to Fight Back Harder Against ‘Bully’ Trump

No. 15 Overall Seed UCLA Eases Past Fresno State Behind a Season-High 22 Hits

Judge and Ohtani Light Up the First Inning With Historic Homers in Yankees-Dodgers Rematch

Chapman Homers, Harrison Pitches Five Scoreless Innings as Giants Beat Marlins
