Elon Musk’s demands are being sabotaged by US officials: How will this end?

The head of the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk, has demanded weekly written reports from officials detailing the work they have completed. However, according to The Washington Post, many federal agencies are openly sabotaging this directive, while others are complying merely as a formality.

Recall that on February 22, Musk issued instructions to all federal agencies, requiring every employee to list five tasks accomplished each week. He also warned that failing to submit a report would be viewed as voluntary resignation.

Nevertheless, some agencies immediately refused to follow this requirement. For example, at a briefing with high-ranking government officials two days after Musk’s directive, representatives from the personnel management department stated that compliance with the requirement was voluntary, and that reports already submitted would not be given attention.

Overall, Musk's initiative has met with strong resistance, including criticism from close advisors to former President Donald Trump and several cabinet members. Soon afterward, the White House announced that the decision to require weekly reports would be left at the discretion of individual cabinet secretaries.

The Washington Post notes that the policy regarding weekly reports within the government has been inconsistent. Some agencies have entirely stopped requiring these reports, while others continue to request them but do not analyze their content. Many officials who continue to submit reports simply send the same text every week.

At the end of March, the Environmental Protection Agency informed its employees that submitting reports was encouraged but not mandatory. Similarly, since April, the National Institutes of Health informed employees that reports were no longer required, noting that the agency had its own internal performance evaluation mechanisms.

The Department of Agriculture initially instructed employees that responding was unnecessary, later indicating it was permissible, and eventually stating that it was desirable but not strictly mandatory. In response, some employees began writing their reports in Russian as a means to deliberately "confuse" the process.

Yet certain agencies have taken the reporting requirement seriously, even developing specialized forms for data collection. For instance, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regularly reminds its employees of the need to send daily reports. The Department of Defense also sends weekly reminders each Thursday or Friday, requiring that reports be submitted by the following Tuesday.

Nevertheless, no centralized strategy for analyzing or processing these reports exists, leaving their ultimate fate unclear, The Washington Post writes.

Interestingly, weekly reports are common practice at companies led by Elon Musk, serving to establish a culture of high efficiency and informing personnel decisions. According to experts cited by the publication, if the government workforce is further reduced, the contents of these reports might become an additional basis for dismissing officials.

Currently, as noted by The Washington Post, Musk’s influence in the government has significantly decreased. His special government employee status expires at the end of May. One of his close associates told the publication that Musk is prepared to leave the government due to "constant disgusting and immoral attacks from the political left."

It remains uncertain how this unusual situation will conclude, but it continues to be actively discussed within American society. Read 'Zamin' on Telegram!