Elon Musk Offers 'Another Chance' to Federal Workers Who Ignored DOGE Email and Again Threatens 'Termination' — After Tulsi Gabbard Instructed Staff to Defy Billionaire
Elon Musk is once again trying to force federal workers to respond to his 'absurd email.'
Feb. 25 2025, Published 5:00 p.m. ET
Elon Musk has decided to give federal workers who completely ignored his controversial DOGE email "another chance" to respond or risk getting fired.
This despite Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and other officials urging their staff to not react to the threat, setting up a possible tug-of-power, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Musk gave federal workers a second chance to respond to his DOGE email or else.
On Monday evening, the Tesla billionaire took to his platform X following his original deadline for federal workers to reply with their "accomplishments" for the week, as he continues to look to trim "government waste."
He tweeted: "Subject to the discretion of the President, they will be given another chance. Failure to respond a second time will result in termination."
Musk, 53, sent the original email on Saturday evening, which led to plenty of backlash and to the billionaire doubling down.
He claimed the email was to figure out “who had a pulse and two working neurons," and then warned those who did not respond would “soon be furthering their career elsewhere.”
Musk has Donald Trump in his corner as the president mocked federal workers in a bizarre post on Truth Social.
Even President Donald Trump jumped on board, mocking federal workers using an edited screenshot from Spongebob Squarepants looking puzzled over a notepad with a pencil in his hand.
A second image revealed the notebook had a list titled "Got done last week" and included everything from "cried about Trump," to "cried about Elon" and "read some emails."
While Trump was all about the DOGE email, numerous agencies, including the Departments of Defense, Education, Commerce and Energy, and others told staffers to ignore the message from Musk’s “department,” which is not an official part of the government.
Gabbard said: "Given the inherently sensitive and classified nature of our work, [intelligence community] employees should not respond to the OPM email."
New FBI Director Kash Patel also told his staff to not respond, as he is reportedly said: “FBI personnel may have received an email from OPM requesting information. The FBI, through the Office of the Director, is in charge of all of our review processes and will conduct reviews in accordance with FBI procedures."
"When and if further information is required, we will coordinate the responses. For now, please pause any responses," he added.
Gabbard instructed her staff to not respond to Musk's email.
Meanwhile, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, ripped the “absurd weekend email" sent by Musk.
She wrote on X: “If Elon Musk truly wants to understand what federal workers accomplished over the past week, he should get to know each department and agency, and learn about the jobs he’s trying to cut."
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, however, applauded Musk and Trump's efforts on Tuesday.
She said: "All federal workers should be working at the same pace that President Trump is working and moving.
"We have a country to save, and we want this federal government to be responsive to the needs of the American people who re-elected this president to have historic, massive reform. And that's what the intention of this idea is."
Despite the pushback, some agencies did respond to the email, including the Department of Transportation.
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Musk claimed the email was to figure out who had a 'pulse and two working neuron.'
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy listed "five things I did last week," boasting he had "terminated NYC elitist, anti-worker congestion pricing" among other things.
