Elon Musk Facing Death Threats? Trump Advisor Shares Taking 'Flak' Over US Federal Workforce Downsizing Role

Since US President Donald Trump took office, roughly 100,000 civilian federal employees have been laid off or have accepted buyouts as part of broader government restructuring.

Speaking at Trump’s Cabinet meeting, Musk also touched upon his broader technological role within the government.

Source : PTI

Billionaire entrepreneur and Trump advisor Elon Musk has revealed that he is facing significant backlash, including death threats, following his role in downsizing the US Federal workforce.

'Getting A Lot Of Death Threats'

"I'm taking a lot of flak and getting a lot of death threats, by the way. I can, like, stack them up," Musk said, as reported by The Times. He justified the decision by arguing that drastic measures were necessary to prevent financial disaster. “But if we don’t do this, America will go bankrupt, that’s why it has to be done. And I’m confident at this point ... that we can actually find a trillion dollars in savings. That would be roughly 15% of the $7 trillion budget.”

Since President Donald Trump took office, roughly 100,000 civilian federal employees have been laid off or have accepted buyouts as part of broader government restructuring. Musk’s role in spearheading these cuts has drawn both criticism and praise, with Trump himself backing the efforts. The president invited Musk to a Cabinet meeting, where he was asked to discuss the progress of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which he oversees.

Justification For Jobs

On February 23, Musk further escalated the administration’s cost-cutting push by demanding that all federal employees provide justification for their jobs. In an email reportedly sent to government staff, he requested that each worker submit a brief summary of their accomplishments from the past week.

The move sparked confusion, with reports indicating that over a million federal employees responded to the email amid conflicting instructions from Musk, Trump, and various agencies. Addressing concerns, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the initiative, stating, "It's a very simple idea when you think about it: All this administration is asking is for federal workers, who live off the American taxpayers' dime, to send five bullet points of what they have done in the previous week. That's all we are asking for."

Leavitt also emphasised that drafting such an email should take only minutes, highlighting her own example of composing one in just two minutes. Meanwhile, Musk clarified that his directive was not meant as a performance evaluation but rather a "pulse check" to assess government efficiency. However, Trump took a firmer stance, suggesting that employees who failed to respond were at risk of losing their jobs, stating that those who had not replied were "on the bubble."

'Best Cabinet Ever'

Speaking at Trump’s Cabinet meeting, Musk also touched upon his broader technological role within the government, stating that he and DOGE were actively working to overhaul and improve government computer systems. "President Trump has put together the best Cabinet ever. And I do not give false praise. This is an incredible group of people. I don't think such a talented team has ever been assembled," Musk remarked, despite holding no official government position himself.

Musk’s increasing influence in federal affairs, combined with his controversial policy moves, continues to spark debate as the administration pushes forward with its aggressive cost-cutting agenda.