On Monday, Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) co-founder Elon Musk warned employees who ignored President Donald Trump’s return-to-office mandate had received “over a month’s warning.” He made the announcement on his social media platform X, calling out those who continued to resist in-person work “will be placed on administrative leave” starting this week.
President Donald Trump had asked Elon Musk to intensify his cost-cutting measures within the federal government, prompting the billionaire to be “more aggressive” in reducing wasteful expenditure and inefficiency.
Trump’s comments were made Saturday on Truth Social, where he praised Musk’s work leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) but insisted that more needed to be done.
“Elon is doing a great job, but I would like to see him get more aggressive. Remember, we have a country to save, but ultimately, to make greater than ever before. MAGA!” Trump wrote.
Within hours, Musk responded on X, writing, “Will do, Mr. President!”
President Donald J. Trump speaks with armed services personnel, during a Thanksgiving video teleconference call. Source: Flickr
Federal employees to revert back to ‘in-person’ working program
According to FOX News, Trump’s federal working program restructuring began on his first day back in office, on January 20, when he signed an executive order requiring all federal employees to return to in-person work “as soon as practicable.”
The order instructed department heads to dismantle remote work arrangements and mandate full-time office attendance.
The queries escalated over the weekend when Musk’s DOGE team emailed federal employees demanding a detailed account of their weekly accomplishments. The email, which asked recipients to provide “five bullet points” of work completed, received some resistance across every government office, supported by liberal policymakers.
FBI Director Kash Patel was among the federal workers who ignored the order by instructing his employees to ignore the request, stating, “Please pause any responses.” The State Department also issued the same guidance, insisting that “no employee is obligated to report their activities outside their Department chain of command.”
Musk followed up on his warnings, reiterating that failure to respond would “be taken as a resignation.”
Pushback from federal agencies has not stopped Republicans from defending Musk’s crackdown on remote work and government inefficiencies.
“I don’t think this is a request that is that difficult,” Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah) said on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday. He recommends the Trump administration to balance accountability and empathy, adding that it should show “a little compassion and dignity in this as well.”
In a February 24 X post, South Carolina Representative Ralph Norman explained the need for employees to clock in physically into offices because no government agency was “occupying even HALF of their office space.”
Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and his son X at the Oval Office. Source: X
DOGE makes $55 Billion in cuts after terminating contracts
According to DOGE’s website, the new office has made about $55 billion in savings as of February 17, 2025. The savings come from fraud detection, contract cancellations, workforce reductions, asset sales, and regulatory changes.
One primary focus of the agency’s work has been dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Among the programs cut was $1.5 million allocated to DEI programs in Serbia, $70,000 for a DEI musical in Ireland, and $47,000 for a “transgender opera” in Colombia.
On Sunday, the White House confirmed that 1,600 workers at the US Agency for International Development (USAID) had been fired, with nearly all remaining employees placed on leave. The sweeping job cuts have reportedly left thousands of federal employees scrambling for answers.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do at this point in time. I might have to look to sell my house because I don’t have a severance or anything,” said Charles Farinella, a recently released IRS agent in New York. “I feel pretty much devastated.”
Per a Monday Reuters news update, Chemonics, a company that works with USAID, disclosed in a recent court filing that contract suspensions have forced it to furlough 750 employees, which is about 63% of its workforce.
