Musk Reveals Names of Government Employees He Wants Fired

When U.S. President-elect Donald Trump announced that “government efficiency czars” Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy would recommend substantial cuts to the federal workforce in his administration, many government employees feared for their jobs.

According to a report by CNN, federal employees now have a new concern: becoming personal targets of the world’s richest man and his followers.

Last week, amid his flurry of daily posts, Musk reshared two posts on X (formerly Twitter) revealing the names and titles of individuals holding four relatively obscure government positions related to climate issues. Each post garnered tens of millions of views, and the named individuals faced a barrage of negative attention. At least one of the four women mentioned has since deleted her social media accounts.

Although the information Musk shared about these government positions is publicly available online, his posts targeted low-profile bureaucrats in roles not directly engaging with the public. Several current federal employees told CNN they feared life-altering consequences—including physical threats—as Musk turns behind-the-scenes civil servants into personal targets.

Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, representing over 800,000 of the 2.3 million federal civilian workers, said:

“These tactics aim to instill terror and fear among federal employees, making them afraid to speak out.”

This behavior is not new for Musk, who has frequently targeted individuals he claims have made mistakes or obstructed his goals. Mary “Missy” Cummings, a professor at George Mason University, experienced similar harassment when Musk criticized her for her public comments about Tesla’s driver-assistance programs during her tenure at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Cummings shared that after Musk targeted her, she faced a deluge of threats, including death threats, and had to temporarily relocate. She noted that some federal employees have already resigned in anticipation of similar treatment.

Experts in online harassment and defamation noted the chilling effects of such behavior, with one stating, “What’s happening has a profoundly disturbing and terrifying impact.” Another called it a “classic pattern of online harassment.”

Ramaswamy, when contacted, did not directly address questions about targeting individual federal employees but said:

“Most federal employees, like most people, are fundamentally good and deserve to be treated with respect. The real issue is the bureaucracy itself, not specific individuals.”