Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, in a weekend interview on “Fox News Sunday,” addressed rumors about supposed “lists” of people that President Donald Trump may want to fire.
He directly stated, “There’s no list … I’ve heard that. I’ve seen that very rumor,” clarifying claims that certain federal employees were being targeted.
Hegseth elaborated on the administration’s stance, saying, “We have a very keen eye toward military leadership and their willingness to follow lawful orders.”
He highlighted the importance of acting within the law’s bounds, adding, “This is all about defending the Constitution. Joe Biden gave lawful orders. A lot of them are really bad. And it’s unfortunate how they eroded our military. Ideological COVID mandates.”
Shifting to President Trump’s directives, Hegseth noted the stakes tied to following orders, remarking, “President Trump has given another set of lawful orders. And they will be followed.
“If they’re not followed, and all these orders are in keeping with the Constitution and norms inside the military. If they’re not followed, then those officers will find the door,” he vowed.
With sharp clarity about the consequences, he asserted, “And that’s not a tough calculation.”
“We feel really good about the direction the Pentagon is headed under President Trump. We’re going to focus on warfighting and lethality and accountability,” Hegseth continued.
“And be the most transparent Pentagon that folks have seen in a long time, which is why I explain these things on a regular basis.”
Despite Hegseth’s assurances, a new approach to federal workforce management has rattled government employees.
Elon Musk, now leading the Department of Government Efficiency, revealed on Saturday that federal employees would soon receive an email tracking their productivity over the last workweek. Musk added that non-responsive workers would be considered to have resigned.
This announcement triggered a mix of outrage and disbelief among agencies like the FBI and the Department of Justice, according to The New York Times, while The Washington Post reported concerns about both the legality of this demand and potential data security issues.
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) initiated the emails on Saturday, shortly after Musk’s announcement.
The emails require federal workers to submit a five-bullet-point summary of their accomplished tasks — excluding anything classified — by midnight on Monday. However, a significant resistance emerged in response to this request.
Newly confirmed FBI Director Kash Patel advised his department’s employees to withhold responses.
“The FBI, through the Office of the Director, is in charge of all of our review processes, and will conduct reviews in accordance with FBI procedures,” he wrote. “When and if further information is required, we will coordinate the responses. For now, please pause any responses.”
The Department of Defense apparently issued similar guidance to its employees, aligning with Patel’s message.
The National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE) issued a strong public statement denouncing the email initiative and the related threats as illegitimate.
“NFFE believes this email and the threat by Elon Musk are illegal. We advise you to forward the email to your immediate supervisor and ask for their guidance,” the group stated.
The NFFE argued, “OPM and Elon Musk do not have legal authority to take personnel action based on this request. This is yet another ploy by the Trump Administration and Elon Musk to create an atmosphere of intimidation and is not a legal manner to manage America’s largest workforce.”
Other notable leaders further intervened. National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard explicitly directed employees within the Intelligence Community to avoid responding due to “the inherently sensitive and classified nature of our work.”
Similarly, State Department officials provided reassurance to their employees. Acting Undersecretary of State for Management Tibor P. Nagy sent a department-wide message that stated, “No employee is obligated to report their activities outside of their Department chain of command,” further stating that the department itself would handle all required responses.
