From Twitter Ultimatums to Federal Restructuring
In November 2022, shortly after Elon Musk acquired Twitter, employees received an email titled “A fork in the road.” Now, federal workers have gotten a memo with the same subject. The Twitter email offered two options: embrace “exceptional performance” and work “extremely hardcore” or leave. Similarly, federal workers were given a choice on Tuesday: commit to “excellence,” reliability, loyalty, and trustworthiness—or resign and take a buyout.
This nearly identical wording signals Musk’s influence on government strategy. Musk, now a top advisor to President Donald Trump, holds an office in the White House. His tactics raise concerns about whether federal departments could experience rapid downsizing similar to Twitter’s. Critics worry this could cause broken systems and loss of value, much like the chaos seen at the social media company.
Lara Cohen, formerly Twitter’s global head of marketing, commented on this resemblance in a Threads post. “The freeze in federal spending feels familiar,” she said. “They come in with no context, turn everything off without knowing who handles what. But this isn’t a tech company—it’s the country, and this will hurt people irreparably.”
The Push for Federal Downsizing
During his campaign, Musk frequently spoke about reducing government size. His role leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) played a major part in Tuesday’s buyout plan, according to a government official.
Management expert William Klepper from Columbia Business School says Trump’s backing of the plan is no surprise. “Trump is comfortable firing people—it’s a familiar script,” Klepper explained. However, he cautioned that government operations are fundamentally different from businesses.
“In business, success comes from beating competitors and creating profitability,” Klepper said. “In government, the focus is on creating public value through programs and services.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt avoided directly addressing Musk’s involvement when asked. Instead, she praised his “incredibly productive” work at DOGE.
On Wednesday, Musk shared an X post claiming, “Downsizing government is the most popular issue by far!” He cited a Reuters/Ipsos poll indicating that 44% of Americans support ending diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in government.
Musk’s Twitter Playbook: A Blueprint for Disruption
When Musk finalized his $44 billion Twitter deal, he entered the office carrying a sink, signaling disruptive change. Hours after taking over, he began cutting staff, moves he said were necessary for the company’s survival but which led to widespread turmoil.
He laid off most of the workforce, only to call some employees back. Musk shut down at least one data center, which caused platform glitches and outages. He also dismantled Twitter’s safety teams, weakened content moderation policies, and reinstated White supremacists and misinformation spreaders. The result? Users and advertisers left in droves.
Legal troubles followed, including lawsuits from landlords and vendors over unpaid rent and services. San Francisco officials investigated him for installing unauthorized office signage and turning office spaces into makeshift bedrooms.
His controversial moves, such as amplifying racist conspiracy theories, turned Twitter into a less reliable and more toxic platform. Competing platforms have since gained traction. Fidelity estimated last fall that Twitter’s value had plummeted by 80%.
Still, Musk’s chaotic takeover increased his personal power. Over the summer, he used X to support Trump’s public image. With Trump’s reelection, Musk gained direct influence in the White House, and his fortune grew by tens of billions of dollars. Expectations of business benefits from his connection to Trump have fueled his financial gains.
For Musk, there’s little incentive to change his tactics. His employment strategy at DOGE could continue mimicking his Twitter playbook—layoffs, restructuring, and a focus on loyalty. Whether it works for the federal government remains uncertain, but the stakes are undeniably higher.