Confusion and chaos loom as hundreds of thousands of federal employees begin their workweek on Monday. They’re facing an 11:59 p.m. EST deadline from President Donald Trump’s cost-cutting chief, Elon Musk, to explain their recent accomplishments or risk losing their jobs. Musk’s unusual weekend demand faced resistance from key U.S. agencies led by the president’s loyalists that instructed their employees not to comply. Lawmakers in both parties said that Musk’s mandate may be illegal, while unions are threatening to sue. Trump over the weekend called for Musk to be more aggressive in his cost-cutting crusade through the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, and posted a meme on social media mocking federal employees.
