Donald Trump’s administration remains mired in chaos after Elon Musk issued a new ultimatum on Monday night. He gave federal workers one more chance to reply to his email threatening their jobs after multiple agency heads told their staff to ignore him.
With just hours to go before the proclaimed midnight deadline for his first ultimatum, the mercurial billionaire renewed his demand for government employees to tell him the five things they accomplished last week – or be fired.
The latest warning came shortly after the Trump administration’s Office of Personnel (OPM) told agencies that responding to Musk’s edict was “voluntary.”
By then several agencies had already told employees to ignore the demand.
Musk apparently left himself a path to back off from his latest ultimatum by saying it was “subject to the discretion of the President,” adding to the chaos and confusion for workers.
More than 20 staffers at Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have resigned, after refusing to use their technical expertise to “dismantle critical public services.”
“We swore to serve the American people and uphold our oath to the Constitution across presidential administrations,” they wrote in a joint resignation letter on Tuesday. “However, it has become clear that we can no longer honor those commitments.”
Key Points
- Chaos reigns as Elon Musk issues ominous new firing ultimatum to federal workers
- Dozens of federal tech workers resign to protest Musk and DOGE’s push to ‘dismantle critical public services’
- 230K Canadians demand country revoke Musk’s citizenship
- Who’s really in charge of DOGE? Government lawyers ‘don’t know’
- One in three contracts canceled by DOGE won’t save Trump’s government any money
- Speaker Johnson struggles to get Republicans in line behind Trump’s budget
Dozens of federal tech workers resign to protest Musk and DOGE’s push to ‘dismantle critical public services’
16:17
,
Oliver O'Connell
More than 20 staffers at Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency have resigned, after refusing to use their technical expertise to “dismantle critical public services.”
Mike Bedigan is following this developing story.
16:15
,
Oliver O'Connell
Fox News host Laura Ingraham tells laid-off federal employees to get ‘real jobs’
16:11
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Oliver O'Connell
Fox News host Laura Ingraham expressed no sympathy for federal employees who have been fired or are disgruntled with Elon Musk’s new oversight during Monday evening’s episode of her show, saying they need to “get real jobs in the real world”.
Ariana Baio has the story.
Johnson says there might not be budget resolution vote tonight
16:09
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Oliver O'Connell
"There might be a vote tonight, there might not be," Speaker Mike Johnson says at his press conference on his budget resolution -- acknowledging he might not have the votes for passage.
— Daniella Diaz (@DaniellaMicaela) February 25, 2025
16:05
,
Oliver O'Connell
Giuliani has ‘fully’ paid the $148 million he owes two election workers he defamed, court docs say
16:00
,
Oliver O'Connell
Lawyers for Rudy Giuliani and election workers he defamed claim that he has “fully” paid the $148 million he owed two Georgia election workers he defamed, potentially bringing an end to a saga that has played out in courtrooms in Washington, D.C. and New York.
The judgment against him was “fully satisfied” and attorneys moved to dismiss the case Monday, according to federal court filings, after Giuliani reached a settlement with Fulton County election workers Ruby Freeman and her daughter Shaye Moss last month.
Rhian Lubin and Alex Woodward report.
New York governor wants to hire federal workers laid off by Musk's DOGE
15:54
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Oliver O'Connell
New York Governor Kathy Hochul on Tuesday welcomed recently laid-off federal workers to apply for state jobs using an online portal.
“The federal government might say, ‘You’re fired,’ but here in New York, we say, ‘You’re hired.’ In fact, we love federal workers,” Hochul said in a videotaped statement.
Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency is determined to make sweeping job cuts in the federal government with the stated goal of reducing government bureaucracy. However, there is no official count of the total number of firings.
Forget what DOGE says — New York wants YOU!
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) February 25, 2025
From education to public safety, we are HIRING. Federal employees: check out https://t.co/1vFG1gRYT7 for opportunities in the Empire State. pic.twitter.com/lBr3kfKhDc
230K Canadians demand country revoke Musk’s citizenship
15:39
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Oliver O'Connell
More than 230,000 Canadians demand that leaders revoke Elon Musk’s citizenship immediately for “attempting to erase” the nation’s sovereignty.
The South African-born billionaire, who holds both Canadian and U.S. citizenship, retaliated by taunting that “Canada is not a real country” in a post on X.
Rhian Lubin has the story.
Watch LIVE: Congressional Progressive Caucus discusses Republican budget
15:29
,
Oliver O'Connell
Trump and Musk's DOGE ‘slash and burn’ approach slammed for not saving money
15:20
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AP
A significant portion of federal contracts touted by the Trump administration as cost-saving cancellations are projected to yield no financial benefit, according to the administration's own figures.
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, recently released a list of 1,125 contracts terminated across the federal government.
However, data from DOGE's "Wall of Receipts" indicates that over a third of these cancellations – 417 in total – are expected to produce no savings.
Read on...
Watch: GOP rep. caught on hot mic threatening Tucker Carlson
15:15
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Oliver O'Connell
Voices: We can easily guess how Trump’s talks with Starmer will go
15:00
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Joe Sommerlad
Both Emmanuel Macron (below) and Sir Keir Starmer are in impossible positions, writes Holly Baxter – they’re dealing with a petulant bully combined with the might of a global superpower.
The British PM follows the Frenchman to Washington on Thursday.
U.S.-Mexico talks continue ahead of tariff deadline
14:45
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Reuters
The Mexican government continues to talk with the U.S. government on security and trade issues ahead of President Donald Trump's tariff pause deadline on March 4, Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum said Tuesday.
Speaking at her regular morning press conference, Sheinbaum said that she still expects to reach an agreement with the U.S., even after Trump said on Monday that tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports are "on time and on schedule.”
Musk’s protege ‘Big Balls’ is grandson of executed KGB agent
14:40
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Joe Sommerlad
Here’s a story – and a headline – few could have foreseen.
Hegseth heads to Guantanamo
14:33
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Oliver O'Connell
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is en route to Guantanamo Bay to tour the naval base’s deportation facilities and receive briefings on how the operation to detain migrants will work.
Wheels up @Andrews_JBA, En route to Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Will tour JTF-GTMO facilities and receive briefings on operations supporting illegal immigrant deportations. pic.twitter.com/KJYRsv9K7k
— Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (@SecDef) February 25, 2025
Watch: New York Republican warns of DOGE's 'rash decisions' cutting vital programs
14:25
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Oliver O'Connell
GOP Rep. Malliotakis on CNN decries DOGE's "rash decisions" pic.twitter.com/WprEOgPC0z
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 25, 2025
Trump attacked over ‘new axis’ after US sides with China, North Korea and Russia
14:20
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Joe Sommerlad
The American president is risking world peace by siding with North Korea, China and Belarus in refusing to condemn Vladimir Putin, senior British Tories have claimed.
In a chilling warning, former deputy prime minister Lord Heseltine said the US president risks forming a “new axis” that will reward Russia and its allies.
He spoke out after the Trump administration, alongside the three dictatorships, rejected a U.N. General Assembly resolution against Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine on Monday that was backed by Europe and most other nations.
David Maddox and Alexander Butler report.
Housing Dept computers hacked to show AI video of Trump kissing Musk’s feet
14:00
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Joe Sommerlad
Federal staffers at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) were greeted by a fake AI video depicting the president kissing Elon Musk’s feet when they came into work on Monday morning.
Hackers rolled out the 19-second video throughout HUD’s building on the day that federal workers were ordered to return to the office following an executive order bringing an end to working from home.
Captioned “Long live the real king,” the footage depicted the president enthusiastically kissing the feet of the billionaire “first buddy,” who is leading the DOGE purge of the federal government.
We have since received an update from Housing Secretary Scott Turner’s press office this morning, assuring us: “The monitors at HUD are now showcasing the wins of the Trump administration, including action to lower the cost and expand the supply of affordable housing.”
Here’s Rhian Lubin’s report.
Judge blocks ICE enforcement in some houses of worship
13:40
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Joe Sommerlad
A federal judge has sided with a group of Quaker religious organizations, a Baptist church in Atlanta and a Sikh temple in California that sued Trump’s administration to block federal immigration arrests in their houses of worship.
Monday’s ruling from District Judge Theodore Chuang in Maryland temporarily prevents Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from policing their places of worship, after the administration opened the door for officers to make arrests in places like churches, schools, hospitals and childcare centers.
The judge, however, did not grant a nationwide injunction.
Instead, ICE is blocked from enforcement actions in roughly 1,700 places of worship in 35 states, D.C. and Puerto Rico.
Alex Woodward has the latest.
Trump is pushing to make USPS private – here’s why it could harm his base
13:20
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Joe Sommerlad
If the president manages to privatize the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) as he as recently, the move could widely harm members of his base, writes Michelle Del Rey.
Here’s why.
Trump rescinds policy meant to stop U.S. arms being used in war crimes
13:00
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Joe Sommerlad
The Trump administration has reportedly rescinded a Biden-era policy requiring countries that receive weapons from the U.S. to comply with international law and support humanitarian aid deliveries, despite ongoing concerns that U.S. ally Israel has used American materiel in human rights abuses.
Josh Marcus reports.
Speaker Johnson struggles to get Republicans in line behind Trump’s budget
12:40
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Joe Sommerlad
It’s coming down to the wire for Mike Johnson and the House of Representatives.
With a Rules Committee vote today and a full vote planned on the floor of the chamber Tuesday, the GOP speaker of the House is aiming to pass the “one big, beautiful bill” representing the framework for the federal budget.
“We believe we'll have the votes,” Johnson told reporters on Monday.
There’s just one problem. Well, three, actually: the three Republican members (Victoria Spartz, Tim Burchett and Thomas Massie) who have already signalled their opposition to the legislation, dooming it if the Democrats hold the line against it.
Johnson can afford just one defection, with all Democrats in attendance, given his narrow majority.
Here’s John Bowden to set the scene.
‘Absolute tool bag’: What Bongino has had to say about the FBI
12:20
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Joe Sommerlad
Here’s a timely look back at some of the many criticisms the podcaster has levelled at the very institution he will now help to lead.
‘They’re not laughing now’: Dan Bongino rubs it in after surprise FBI appointment
12:00
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Joe Sommerlad
In his first broadcast since he was shockingly announced as the next deputy director of the FBI, MAGA podcaster Dan Bongino grew emotional as he thanked his audience for their support before turning to his critics and letting them know he got the last laugh.
A former Secret Service agent and New York City police officer before launching a right-wing media career, Bongino also insisted during his Monday podcast that despite his current career as a pro-Trump firebrand, he would have no problem doing the “nonpartisan” work expected of an FBI leader.
“This is hard for me,” Bongino said at the top of his show as he appeared to hold back tears.
“I’m going to accept the role – proudly – as the deputy director at the Federal Bureau of Investigations. Folks, it’s a lot to walk away from.”
Justin Baragona was listening.
JPMorgan boss Jamie Dimon says Musk’s DOGE cuts ‘need to be done’
11:40
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Joe Sommerlad
Dimon, a fellow billionaire, agreed with Elon Musk that the U.S. government is “inefficient” but refused to give what he said was a “binary” response over whether he supports the way DOGE has gone about aggressively gutting federal agencies.
“The government is inefficient, not very competent, and needs a lot of work,” Dimon told CNBC’s Leslie Picker.
“It’s not just waste and fraud, it’s outcomes.”
Rhian Lubin reports.
Republican congressman claims ‘God has a plan’ for fired federal workers
11:20
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Joe Sommerlad
Another GOP representative has provoked fury from fired government employees by telling them that “God has a plan” for their lives.
At a town hall meeting in Missouri on Monday, Republican congressman Mark Alford drew angry shouts of opposition from a dozens-strong crowd as he tried to defend Trump’s sweeping government cutbacks.
It was the latest in a series of riotous town halls in red districts across the U.S. where voters expressed their frustration about Trump’s policies, as well as the influence of Elon Musk.
Those reports – encompassing Alaska, Georgia, Idaho, Texas, Oklahoma, Oregon, Wisconsin, and beyond – were a sign of gathering anger at Trump’s radical seizure of power and near-demolition of entire government departments.
“Just because you have a government job, doesn’t mean it’s a lifetime appointment like a Supreme Court,” Alford scolded his constituents on the outskirts of Kansas City, according to the local St. Joseph News-Press.
“So I would encourage anyone who finds themselves in this situation to realize that we are going to get this economy turning again. There are jobs available. God has a plan and purpose for your life.”
Io Dodds has more.
Watch: Trump refuses to call Putin a dictator after Zelensky attack
11:00
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Joe Sommerlad
This was one of yesterday’s most noteworthy exchanges.
To give Trump the benefit of the doubt, it is perhaps not wise to be drawn into needlessly antagonising the Russian leader ahead of upcoming talks to end the war (although what was to be gained from insulting Zelensky?).
Defiant French journalists make certain AP Paris reporter asks first question at Trump-Macron press conference
10:40
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Joe Sommerlad
Let’s get back to Trump and Macron’s meeting yesterday, where French reporters in attendance pushed to have a Paris-based Associated Press (AP) reporter ask the first question at their press conference, defying the White House’s decision to shut the organization out of official events.
Earlier this month, the White House began denying the AP’s access to Trump and other officials at Air Force One, the White House briefing room and other events because it hasn’t complied with the Trump administration’s unilateral renaming of the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, with the AP’s influential stylebook noting the administration’s policies aren’t recognized internationally.
The Trump administration ban prompted the AP to sue Trump officials last week, citing a violation of the First Amendment.
A federal judge on Monday refused to immediately order the White House to restore the wire service’s access, though arguments will continue in the case.
Here’s more from Josh Marcus.
One in three contracts canceled by DOGE won’t save Trump’s government any money
10:20
,
Joe Sommerlad
A significant portion of federal contracts touted by the Trump administration as cost-saving cancellations are projected to yield no financial benefit, according to the administration’s own figures.
Musk’s team recently released a list of 1,125 contracts terminated across the federal government.
However, data from DOGE’s “Wall of Receipts” indicates that over a third of these cancellations – 417 in total – are expected to produce no savings.
Here’s more.
Who’s really in charge of DOGE? Government lawyers ‘don’t know’
10:00
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Joe Sommerlad
Trump’s administration doesn’t know, or won’t say, even in a courtroom when confronted by a judge, who is running the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, which Elon Musk and his team of engineers are using to wreak havoc across federal agencies.
During a hearing in Washington, D.C. on DOGE’s access to Department of Treasury records on Monday, government lawyers couldn’t answer whether an administrator for the agency even exists.
“Is there an administrator of DOGE at the present time?” asked Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly.
“I don’t know the answer to that,” Department of Justice trial counsel Bradley Humphreys replied.
The question is the latest failed attempt to get, on the record, a clear understanding of the role of the world’s wealthiest man within the Trump administration, which is deploying Musk to gut federal agencies of thousands of workers and block the transfer of congressionally approved funds in a crusade against “waste” and “fraud” with little evidence to show for it.
Alex Woodward has more.
Trump and Macron show unity in push for end to Ukraine war
09:40
,
Joe Sommerlad
The American and French presidents appeared to largely sing from the same hymnal in Washington yesterday as Macron made a hastily arranged visit to shore up transatlantic ties placed at risk by the Trump administration’s apparent switch in allegiances from Ukraine to Russia.
Here’s a full report from Andrew Feinberg.
Truth Social: Trump promotes Ramaswamy gubernatorial bid and plots Keystone XL Pipeline revival
09:20
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Joe Sommerlad
Over on the president’s social media platform, the commander-in-chief promoted the gubernatorial ambitions of his former Republican rival Vivek Ramaswamy, who suddenly looks very smart indeed to have gotten off the DOGE elevator early.
VIVEK RAMASWAMY is running for Governor of the Great State of Ohio. I know him well, competed against him, and he is something SPECIAL. He's Young, Strong, and Smart! Vivek is also a very good person, who truly loves our Country. He will be a GREAT Governor of Ohio, will never…
— Trump Posts on (@trump_repost) February 25, 2025
He also suddenly revived his interest in the Keystone XL Pipeline, which was intended to run from Alberta, Canada, into Nebraska until it was blocked by the Biden administration but which Trump now sees as part of his “drill, baby, drill” fossil fuels agenda.
Our Country's doing really well, and today, I was just thinking, that the company building the Keystone XL Pipeline that was viciously jettisoned by the incompetent Biden Administration should come back to America, and get it built — NOW! I know they were treated very badly by…
— Trump Posts on (@trump_repost) February 25, 2025
France is America's oldest ally. Our cherished partnership has been a force for FREEDOM, PROSPERITY, and PEACE from the very beginning... pic.twitter.com/JMPlv2vlPD
— Trump Posts on (@trump_repost) February 24, 2025
— Trump Posts on (@trump_repost) February 24, 2025
We're helping Ukraine like nobody has ever helped Ukraine before... pic.twitter.com/Rh5P1pfQ4k
— Trump Posts on (@trump_repost) February 24, 2025
‘It’s bedlam!’ Chaos reigns as Elon Musk issues ominous new firing ultimatum after agencies told responding to him is ‘voluntary’
09:00
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Joe Sommerlad
Elon Musk issued a new ultimatum on Monday night giving federal workers one more chance to reply to his email threatening their jobs after multiple agency heads told their staff to ignore him.
With just hours to go before the proclaimed midnight deadline for his first ultimatum, the mercurial billionaire renewed his demand for government employees to tell him the five things they accomplished last week – or be fired.
The latest warning came shortly after the Trump administration’s Office of Personnel (OPM) – effectively the federal government's central Human Resources department – told agencies that responding to Musk’s edict was “voluntary.”
By then several agencies had already told employees to ignore the demand.
The Department of Health and Human Services warned that anyone who wanted to respond should “assume that what you write will be read by malign foreign actors and tailor your response accordingly.”
Musk apparently left himself a path to back off from his latest ultimatum by saying it was “subject to the discretion of the President,” creating even more chaos and confusion for workers.
Subject to the discretion of the President, they will be given another chance.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 25, 2025
Failure to respond a second time will result in termination. https://t.co/04xzgScXfj
But Donald Trump did not appear inclined to block the ultimatum, telling reporters during his Oval Office meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron yesterday that Musk’s initial ultimatum was “genius” and warning that employees who did not respond would be “semi-fired” or “fired.”
It wasn’t clear what he meant by “semi-fired.”
Here’s Io Dodds to attempt to make sense of the mayhem.
Jailed Sam Bankman-Fried expresses sympathy with government workers
08:40
,
Joe Sommerlad
The founder of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange, currently serving 25 years behind bars for fraud, conspiracy and money laundering, has expressed sympathy for federal employees targeted by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in a lengthy 10-post thread on X, Musk’s own platform.
Here’s what he had to say about their situation before pivoting to reflecting more general on employer-employee relations:
2) Firing people is one of the hardest things to do in the world. It sucks for everyone involved.
— SBF (@SBF_FTX) February 25, 2025
My experience:
a) it is usually not the employee’s fault that they got fired
b) it is usually correct to let them go anyway
Here’s more from James Liddell.
LA traffic officer confronted at home by ICE agents who were ‘hesitant’ about showing warrant
08:00
,
Mike Bedigan
Federal agents involved in a supposed widespread immigration crackdown in Los Angeles County reportedly were reluctant to show a warrant to a city traffic officer for a family member they believed to be an undocumented migrant.
The crackdown didn't amount to much, according to sources who spoke to the Los Angeles Times — only 12 individuals were reportedly picked up and detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in LA, despite federal officials requesting enough space to house 120.
Graig Graziosi has more: