Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) slammed tech billionaire Elon Musk over an email sent to federal employees requesting information on “what you accomplished last week.”
“This is the ultimate d‑‑‑ boss move from Musk – except he isn’t even the boss, he’s just a d‑‑‑,” the Minnesota senator said in the first post of a thread on the social platform X after Musk on Saturday warned federal employees about a new policy requiring them to detail their work in an email.
“I bet a lot of people have had an experience like this with a bad boss – there’s an email in your inbox on Saturday night saying, ‘Prove to me your worthiness by Monday or else,’” Smith continued in a second post. “I’m on the side of the workers, not the billionaire a‑‑hole bosses.”
Musk responded to the first post from Smith later Saturday night, asking her, “What did you get done last week?”
“.@ElonMusk I hate to break it to you but you aren’t my boss. I answer to the people of Minnesota,” Smith replied in another X post Sunday. “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.”
Musk also said Sunday that “good responses” to the email sent to federal employees have encouraged him.
“A large number of good responses have been received already. These are the people who should be considered for promotion,” Musk said Sunday on X.
The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment.
On Saturday, Musk, a special adviser to President Trump, gave a warning to federal employees about a new policy resulting in them having to detail work efforts by way of email.
“Consistent with President @realDonaldTrump’s instructions, all federal employees will shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week,” Musk said in a previous post on X.
“Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation,” the tech billionaire continued.
Musk did not outline extra details on X, but a copy of a message that federal employees were sent has been reviewed by The Hill.
“Please reply to this email with approx. 5 bullet points of what you accomplished last week and cc your manager. Please do not send any classified information, links or attachments,” said the email. “Deadline is Monday at 11:59pmEST.”
