Elon Musk, appointed by President Donald Trump to lead the Department of Government Efficiency, has reiterated his threat to terminate federal employees who fail to justify their roles.

This comes despite the UnitedStates Office of Personnel Management advising that responding to Musk’s directive is voluntary.

Musk’s directive caused significant confusion within the federal government, with agencies receiving mixed messages on whether employees should comply.

Labour unions and legal experts have questioned Musk’s actual authority to enforce such a directive, given that federal employment decisions typically follow established legal and procedural frameworks.

As the deadline neared, Mr. Musk appeared to admit that his plan had stalled.

“The email request was utterly trivial, as the standard for passing the test was to type some words and press send!” Mr Musk posted on X.

“Yet so many failed even that inane test, urged on in some cases by their managers.”

Musk added, “subject to the discretion of the president, they will be given another chance. Failure to respond a second time will result in termination.”

The White House did not immediately comment on Mr. Musk’s remarks.

It was unclear whether Mr. Musk was aware of the guidance issued earlier on Monday by the US Office of Personnel Management, which informed federal agency HR officials that employees would not be dismissed for ignoring his email—nor were they required to respond.