The world’s richest man Elon Musk took a page from his own playbook (when he took over Twitter in 2022) and asked federal employees to present their accomplishments to him as head of DOGE. Failure to respond to the request, it was implied, would signal a resignation from their position.
After Musk made the demand on X, federal employees across several agencies received an email titled “What did you get done last week?”
Whether or not Musk and his DOGE associates have the legal right to fire federal employees is being argued in courts, but President Trump’s support of such measures is clear. On Saturday, Trump encouraged Musk to be even “more aggressive.”
Few Republicans are speaking out against Trump and Musk — though there are some — but Democrats are, including Senator Tina Smith (D-MN). (Smith called Musk’s “What did you do last week?” threat “the ultimate [expletive] boss move,” and added, “except he isn’t even the boss, he’s just a [expletive].”)
Smith wrote on X: “@ElonMusk I hate to break it to you but you aren’t my boss. I answer to the people of Minnesota. But since you bring it up, I spent last week fighting to stop tax breaks for billionaires like you, paid for by defunding health care for moms and babies.”
.@ElonMusk I hate to break it to you but you aren’t my boss. I answer to the people of Minnesota.
But since you bring it up, I spent last week fighting to stop tax breaks for billionaires like you, paid for by defunding health care for moms and babies. https://t.co/gzarLmg3Z5
— Senator Tina Smith (@SenTinaSmith) February 23, 2025
Smith reminded her constituents on Friday: “Just so everybody is clear on Republican priorities: We put up an amendment to make sure nobody making over $500 million gets a tax cut. Republicans voted against it.”
Smith added of her Republican colleagues: “What they want to do is to pay for their tax cuts for billionaires and big corporations by taking your health care.”
“What they want to do is to pay for their tax cuts for billionaires and big corporations by taking your health care.”@SenTinaSmith lays out what’s at stake tonight in the fight over Republicans’ budget bill pic.twitter.com/sDmDpX0TRZ
— Senate Democrats (@SenateDems) February 21, 2025
Senate Republicans got their budget blueprint passed late Friday night but without specifics on how it will fund its proposed $150 billion increase in military spending and $175 billion more for border security over the next decade, and which federal programs it will cut and by how much.
Note: The Washington Post reported this week: “Low-income Americans who voted for Trump say they are counting on him to keep their benefits intact even while his Cabinet picks and Republican lawmakers call on him to reduce federal spending.”