Behind DOGE’s Many Conflicts of Interest and Elon Musk’s Weekend Email Chaos

Brian Barrett: OK, and I will start, just clearly, I think an important part of it didn’t say the initial email that they would be dismissed if they did not respond. The email itself simply said, send us a bullet list of five things you did last week. And then the X tweets tweeted separately in tweets, however, if you don’t write again, you will be forced to resign.

Katie Drummond: I hope that all types of 2.5 million federal workers are regularly checking X or they will obviously miss important updates about their employment from the government.

Brian Barrett: And in fact, I talked to a person who worked in the federal government who muted Elon Kasturi and did not see it until the end of Monday. So it is part of the chaos that happened. The other part, and the larger image is the leadership of all these agencies seems to have no idea that it is coming. It was only a bomb dropped in the middle of the weekend at the Federal Work Force. And because of that, there was a jerk that determined how to respond to each agency. At Noaa, there was still an idea not to respond. It can be a phishing email. Let’s get out of it. Then once they decided =

Katie Drummond: It is certain that it looks like spam.

Brian Barrett: Yes, it does. In other agencies, there was such an idea in general, it has feelings like it, let’s hold on, let’s wait until Monday and you will get more guidance. Then, some people are already writing back to the email. There are no people. Some people didn’t even see it. Then some agencies began to take a position with the FBI, where Kash Patel, who was probably the most loyal of Trump of these terms, obviously painted a line and said, “No, don’t write it again.” The State Department also said, “Not at all. You’re not doing it.” And then we are like sorting mixed guidance in NIH. Yes, but yes but yes. Other companies did not receive any instructions. In some cases, federal judges have received this email.

It was a true Shymblick episode that I think, I think, how volunteering, intriguing, simply stupid, there are plenty of verbs, and I want to say foolishly in the sense of thinking through it, but obviously very severely involved. In view of where we landed, the OPM later said, “Don’t mind. You won’t be fired. Don’t worry about it.” And Elon Mask then tweeted supportfully, people would get another chance, but next time, they would be dismissed next time. Which was a tweet again.

Katie Drummond: And I believe that on Monday afternoon, the President himself said something for the impact of their better response or they would be a semi-driven or dismissed. Which is again, incredibly obscure and serious for a minute, it is a ridiculous email. This is a ridiculous situation. But at the moment, it is their livelihood to keep yourself in the shoes of someone working for the federal government. This is how they support their families. This is how they are paid.