President Donald Trump has urged Elon Musk to take a stronger stance in reshaping the federal government. Musk has been assigned a role in leading the Department of Government Efficiency, but questions remain about whether this decision is legally sound.
An official from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) responded to the development, stating that the effort reflects a commitment to creating a more efficient and responsible federal workforce. The spokesperson emphasized that government agencies would decide on the next steps.
Shortly after Musk shared a post on Saturday, Trump praised him during a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference. He referred to Musk as a “patriot” and commended him for his efforts.
Musk’s post came in response to an earlier message from Trump, where the former president encouraged him to be more forceful in his actions.
“ELON IS DOING A GREAT JOB, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HIM GET MORE AGGRESSIVE. REMEMBER, WE HAVE A COUNTRY TO SAVE, BUT ULTIMATELY, TO MAKE GREATER THAN EVER BEFORE. MAGA!” Trump wrote. In response, Musk assured him, posting, “Will do, Mr. President!”
These exchanges are part of a broader effort by Musk and Trump to make significant changes to the federal workforce. Their plans involve cutting down the number of government employees, replacing long-term workers with political appointees, eliminating certain civil service protections, and rolling back diversity initiatives.
This report has been updated with additional details.
CNN journalists Betsy Klein, Jamie Gangel, Sean Lyngaas, and Jennifer Hansler contributed to this article.
