The Pentagon told employees to "pause any response" to the email, saying it would be the authority to conduct staff reviews.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, had some harsh words for the way DOGE was operating, calling the email sent to federal workers “intimidation,” and saying that she’s hearing from federal workers who are being “treated with a level of disregard to their service and to their tenure.”

Some federal agencies, including the State and Defense Departments, told their employees not to respond to an email asking for a list of tasks they completed.