Musk initially said the request was a 'very basic pulse check,' but now says it will root out 'non-existent people or...dead people' who are collecting paychecks. Several agencies are telling employees to ignore the email for now.

Among President Trump’s recent executive actions are those that have removed thousands of probationary status workers from federal agencies and intend to ban diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at all levels. The American Federation of Government Employees responded to the email sent to federal employees with a statement expressing frustration.