United States: Former President Donald Trump set the digital realm ablaze by sharing a SpongeBob SquarePants-inspired meme shortly after Elon Musk introduced a contentious directive aimed at federal employees.
The satirical meme showcased a list labeled “Got Done Last Week,” featuring biting entries such as: “Shed tears over Trump,” “Shed tears over Elon,” “Managed to show up at the office once,” “Glanced at some emails,” and “Shed more tears over Trump and Elon.”
Trump released the meme on Truth Social merely moments after Musk posted it on X.
Musk’s initial message fanned the flames, stating, “Following President @realDonaldTrump’s leadership, all federal employees will soon receive an email seeking a rundown of their productivity from the past week. Failure to respond will be interpreted as a resignation,” according to Fox News.
This initiative, presented as a measure to curb governmental inefficiency, aims to uncover waste, fraud, and bureaucratic excess as the Trump administration pushes to streamline the federal workforce.
“We’ve already garnered a wealth of insightful responses. These are the individuals who merit consideration for advancement,” Musk highlighted in a subsequent post.
Nevertheless, the mandate elicited strong criticism from both sides of the political spectrum.
Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska decried the move as “preposterous,” arguing, “Our public servants deserve esteem and acknowledgment for the crucial—albeit often underappreciated—tasks they undertake. A weekend email demanding they justify their roles is completely off-target.”
From across the aisle, Democratic Senator Tina Smith of Minnesota took a direct swipe at Musk, posting on X, “This is the pinnacle of a d— boss maneuver from Musk—except he’s not even the boss, just a d—.” Musk, ever the provocateur, retorted mockingly: “What did you accomplish last week?”
Federal agencies moved swiftly to quell the upheaval. The Department of Defense advised its personnel to “hold off on responding to the OPM email titled ‘What did you do last week,’” as reported on X by Fox News.
Echoing this approach, FBI Director Kash Patel likewise instructed staff to refrain from replying.
Simultaneously, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard issued a warning to the intelligence community, underscoring national security implications. “Considering the sensitive and classified nature of our work, IC employees should abstain from responding to the OPM email,” she informed the New York Times.
As the online storm subsides, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence has yet to provide an official comment despite media inquiries seeking clarification.
