It looks like the Department of Defense has finally decided to get with the program—sort of. After initially telling employees to ignore an efficiency directive from the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the Pentagon has now reversed course and is requiring compliance. But, of course, they’re doing it their own way, because nothing in Washington is ever straightforward.
Let’s rewind for a second. At the end of February, Musk—yes, that Musk, the same guy who runs Tesla, SpaceX, and now apparently a government efficiency department—sent out an email requiring all federal employees to submit five bullet points detailing what they had actually accomplished at work the previous week. Seems reasonable, right? If taxpayers are footing the bill, maybe we should know what, exactly, these bureaucrats are doing all day.
Naturally, the federal government didn’t like this idea. The FBI, the State Department, and the Pentagon all jumped in immediately, telling their employees to ignore the email. Because heaven forbid anyone be held accountable. President Trump, never one to mince words, called the request “genius” but acknowledged that certain agencies dealing with classified material might need to tweak their compliance. That’s what we call common sense, something that’s been in short supply in D.C. for, oh, a few decades now.
Fast-forward a few days, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth put out a video walking back the Pentagon’s initial resistance. Now, DOD civilian employees must respond—but only through the department itself, because, you know, bureaucracy. Hegseth explained that they wanted to be careful given the sensitive nature of national security work, but ultimately, the DOD is complying with the directive. The reports will be compiled and sent up the chain, fulfilling Musk’s original request.
Musk, for his part, seemed pleased with this outcome, posting a thank-you message on X (formerly Twitter) with a salute emoji and an American flag. It’s a small but telling moment: government efficiency, something that’s been a punchline for years, might actually be happening under Trump 2.0.
Of course, not everyone is thrilled. Since Trump’s second term began, DOGE has recommended firing over 200,000 federal employees, with around 75,000 already taking buyout plans. Naturally, this has sent Democratic lawmakers, government unions, and the usual media talking heads into hysterics. They’re calling it a “mass purge” and a “dangerous dismantling of the administrative state.” Meanwhile, Trump has praised DOGE and Musk’s efforts, calling them a “force of super-geniuses.”
But let’s be real here: does anyone actually think the federal government isn’t bloated? For decades, we’ve watched as unaccountable bureaucrats expand their power while delivering, at best, mediocre results. The Pentagon alone has struggled with failing audits, wasted billions on botched projects, and maintained a civilian workforce so large it’s a wonder anything gets done. Asking these employees to provide five bullet points on their work isn’t just reasonable—it’s the bare minimum.
The DOD even made sure to clarify that no classified or sensitive information should be included in the reports (because we all know certain agencies have a history of “accidentally” leaking things). Non-compliance, however, will be subject to “further review,” meaning the days of coasting on a cushy government job with zero oversight might finally be over.
A message from @SecDef on compliance with OPM’s “What You Did Last Week” email directive. pic.twitter.com/ByKyYIYFJV
— Department of Defense 🇺🇸 (@DeptofDefense) March 2, 2025
This entire situation highlights one of the fundamental shifts happening under Trump’s second term: accountability is back on the table. The federal government has spent far too long operating as an untouchable, bloated machine with no real consequences for inefficiency. If bureaucrats are panicking over a simple accountability measure, maybe that tells us everything we need to know about how Washington has been operating.
And if they don’t like it? Well, they’re more than welcome to find a job in the real world—where results actually matter.
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