A Familiar Ultimatum for Federal Employees
In November 2022, shortly after Elon Musk acquired Twitter, employees received an ominous email titled “A fork in the road.” Over a year later, U.S. government employees received a memo with the same subject line, signaling Musk’s influence on public administration.
The Twitter message demanded employees commit to “extremely hardcore” work or leave. The federal memo echoed this, urging workers to embrace “excellence,” reliability, and loyalty—or resign with a buyout. This nearly identical language shows Musk’s apparent efforts to apply his corporate tactics to government operations.
Questions have since emerged about the potential consequences. Could the U.S. government rapidly reduce its workforce as tech companies do? Might the result mirror the chaotic downfall Musk’s takeover caused at Twitter?
Former Twitter marketing head Lara Cohen highlighted eerie parallels between both scenarios. “They come in, get no context, turn off everything without knowing who does what,” she said in a Threads post. “Twitter was just a social media company. This is the country, and this will hurt people beyond repair.”
Musk’s role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is pivotal to these changes. A government official confirmed Musk’s involvement in developing the federal buyout initiative. His participation aligns with his campaign rhetoric advocating for a smaller government.
The Business vs. Government Dilemma
William Klepper, a Columbia Business School professor, pointed out the risks of Musk’s approach. “Trump thrives in reality TV environments where firing people is scripted. But government isn’t business,” he said.
In business, success means surpassing competitors by delivering better value and higher profits. In government, however, the goal is to serve citizens with effective programs and services. The two environments operate under different rules and expectations.
Despite these concerns, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt praised Musk’s work at DOGE, calling it “incredibly productive.” Meanwhile, Musk took to X (formerly Twitter) to declare that downsizing government was America’s “most popular issue.” He referenced a Reuters/Ipsos poll showing that 44% of Americans support cutting government diversity and equity initiatives, despite broad opposition to Trump’s executive orders.
The Twitter Takeover Playbook
Musk’s takeover of Twitter—now rebranded as X—offers insight into his strategy. On his first day as the company’s owner, Musk entered Twitter HQ carrying a sink, symbolizing his intent to shake things up. The next day, he initiated drastic changes.
He laid off most of the staff, only to ask some to return. He shut down data centers, leading to system glitches and outages. Content moderation teams were disbanded, and the platform’s safety policies were weakened. As White supremacists and misinformation spreaders rejoined, users and advertisers fled.
Landlords and vendors sued Twitter for unpaid rent and services. San Francisco officials investigated reports of unauthorized office conversions into bedrooms. Musk’s erratic management style led to X losing 80% of its value, according to a Fidelity estimate.
Despite the financial losses and declining platform reliability, Musk’s power grew. He leveraged X to support Trump’s political agenda and, after Trump’s re-election, secured both an office in the White House and a direct line to the president. His political connections have also boosted his wealth by billions, thanks to market expectations that his ties to Trump will benefit his business ventures.
This increased power gives Musk little reason to abandon his approach at DOGE. His employment and layoff strategies may continue shaping not only his companies but also America’s government workforce.
