• News
  • Life
  • TV & Film
  • Beauty
  • Style
  • Home
  • News
    • Celebrity
    • Entertainment
    • Politics
    • Royal Family
  • Life
    • Animals
    • Food & Drink
    • Women's Health
    • Mental Health
    • Sex & Relationships
    • Travel
    • Real Life
  • TV & Film
    • True Crime
    • Documentaries
    • Netflix
    • BBC
    • ITV
    • Tyla Recommends
  • Beauty
    • Hair
    • Make-up
    • Skincare
  • Style
    • Home
    • Fashion
    • Shopping
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
Submit Your Content
Donald Trump gets SpongeBob SquarePants involved following outrage over Elon Musk’s federal workers demand

Home> News> Politics

Published 17:17 24 Feb 2025 GMT

Donald Trump gets SpongeBob SquarePants involved following outrage over Elon Musk’s federal workers demand

Donald Trump added fuel to the fire with his response to Elon Musk's controversial email to US government staff

Mia Williams

Mia Williams

Donald Trump has responded to Elon Musk's disrespectful email to federal workers with a SpongeBob meme.

If US government staff didn't feel peeved enough already, they definitely do now.

Earlier this year, the President appointed Musk to front the new Department of Government Efficiency (ironically, DOGE), which effectively is tasked with slashing federal spending.

But it seems as though too much power has gone to the tech billionaire's head.

Advert

Just this weekend (22 February), the CEO sent out a 'disrespectful' ultimatum to federal workers at the State Department, the FBI, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Veterans Affairs Department among several other departments.

All staff received a cryptic email from an account simply titled 'HR', which contained an extremely short message.

The subject line read: "What did you do last week?"

The President responded to the brutal email (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
The President responded to the brutal email (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Advert

The body of the email then continued: "Please reply to this email with approx. 5 bullets of what you accomplished last week and cc your manager."

Workers were also given a deadline to send over the information by 11.59pm on Monday.

On X, Musk added: "Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation."

Jumping on the bandwagon, Trump later posted a meme in response to Musk's demands.

Advert

The 78-year-old Republican leader posted an image of Nickelodeon's SpongeBob holding a notepad while deep in thought.

A close-up of the notepad showed that it was titled - 'Got done last week...'

On the list was: "Cried about Trump, cried about Elon, made it to the office for once, read some emails, and cried about Trump and Elon some more."

The email was not welcomed by government staff, who branded the move completely 'disrespectful'.

Advert

Trump really twisted the knife (Truth Social/@realDonaldTrump)
Trump really twisted the knife (Truth Social/@realDonaldTrump)

The brutal approach also didn't go down well with Everett Kelley, the president of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) union.

In his statement defending workers, he said: "It is cruel and disrespectful to hundreds of thousands of veterans who are wearing their second uniform in the civil service to be forced to justify their job duties to this out-of-touch, privileged, unelected billionaire who has never performed one single hour of honest public service in his life."

In response to the bizarre email, Tibor Nagy of the State Department wrote: "No employee is obligated to report their activities outside of their Department chain of command."

Advert

Others questioned how on Earth the CEO would have the time to read through every single email received back.

In a post on X, he responded: "This was basically a check to see if the employee had a pulse and was capable of replying to an email.

"This mess will get sorted out this week. Lot of people in for a rude awakening and strong dose of reality. They don’t get it yet, but they will."

Featured Image Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images/Nickelodeon

Topics: Donald Trump, Politics, Elon Musk, Jobs, US News

Mia Williams
Mia Williams

Advert

Advert

Advert

  • Elon Musk’s X agrees to pay Donald Trump $10,000,000 in compensation
  • Reason why Donald Trump isn’t allowed to drive despite making massive deal about buying Elon Musk’s Tesla
  • How you pronounce Elon Musk’s son’s name X Æ A-12 after he makes White House debut with dad and Donald Trump
  • Donald Trump fuels major concern after ‘frightening’ comment about DC mayor

Choose your content:

8 mins ago
27 mins ago
an hour ago
2 hours ago
  • Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
    8 mins ago

    Donald Trump warns of WWIII as he calls out Putin during alarming speech in UK

    The American president made the comments today during a press conference with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer

    News
  • Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
    27 mins ago

    Melania Trump accused of breaking protocol inside Windsor Castle as people spot hat detail

    The First Lady, 55, has been accused of breaking royal protocol as photos from the UK state visit go viral

    News
  • Yui Mok - WPA Pool/Getty Images
    an hour ago

    Melania Trump and Kate Middleton's rare joint appearance leaves people confused as strange detail is spotted

    Melania is visiting the UK alongside her husband on his unprecedented second state visit

    News
  • Win McNamee/Getty Images
    2 hours ago

    Donald Trump made ‘unwanted’ grand gesture to Princess Diana following King Charles divorce

    Trump has a somewhat rocky history with the Royal Family

    News