Power struggle simmers in Trump's camp after FBI chief Kash Patel asks his staff to ignore Musk's mail

Billionaire Elon Musk’s ultimatum to the federal workers via email is reportedly facing pushback from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) new chief Kash Patel . The backlash came just hours after the memo was sent, especially from unexpected corners of the Trump administration.

“Consistent with President @realDonaldTrump’s instructions, all federal employees will shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week,” Musk wrote Saturday afternoon. “Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation.” According to NBC News, the federal workers eventually received an email from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) asking, “What did you do last week?”

In the mail, they were instructed to reply in five bullet points, outlining their accomplishments in the last seven days. They were not allowed to share classified information. Musk’s team at the Department of Government  Efficiency (DOGE) gave the federal worker a deadline of 11:59 pm (EST) on Monday.

Kash Patel took a stern stance

The email soon triggered confusion and questions about the legality of Musk’s ultimatum since a White House legal filing states that Musk officially has no federal government role or authority. The most stringent response to the mail came from none other than the FBI and its newly sworn-in director, Kash Patel.

According to the NBC report, Patel sent his own email to the employees clarifying where the bureau stands on the matter. “FBI personnel may have received an email from OPM requesting information. 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,” Patel wrote in the mail obtained by the news outlet.

“When and if further information is required, we will coordinate the responses. For now, please pause any responses," the mail further reads. Similarly at the US State Department, Ambassador Tibor Nagy, currently performing the duties of the Under Secretary for Management, emailed his colleagues, making it clear that no one is obligated to report their activities outside the Department chain of command.

“The State Department will respond on behalf of the Department,” Nagy wrote. As per the report, supervisors at the Department of Justice also told employees to refrain from replying to the email, as they believe that responding to it would lead to ethics violations. A notable exception to it was Trump loyalist Ed Martin, who now leads the US attorney’s office in Washington. Martin gave his staff the go-ahead to reply.

“DOGE and Elon are doing great work! History. We are happy to participate,” Martin told his office, according to an email he posted on X. “Please respond to the HR email carefully with regard to confidentiality and our duties. Be general if you need to. If anyone gives you problems, I’ve got your back. You’re good," he added.

According to CNN, over 2 million federal workers have received the email. Meanwhile, at the Pentagon, The Washington Post reported that one defence official said his manager told employees that they were “considering guidance” having received the email. However, it is now clear when such guidance came.

The email came shortly after US President Donald Trump lauded Musk ’s efforts at DOGE and encouraged him to go further. “ELON IS DOING A GREAT JOB, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HIM GET MORE AGGRESSIVE," the president wrote on TruthSocial. However, the mail did not sit well with several departments of the government.

With inputs from agencies.