How Musk’s Social Media Posts Are Targeting Federal Employees

When President-elect Donald Trump announced that Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy would help drive significant cuts to the federal government, many public employees feared their jobs might be at risk. Now, a new and more personal concern has emerged: becoming direct targets of the world’s richest man and his massive online following.

Last week, Musk reshared two posts on X (formerly Twitter) that publicly named and shamed individuals holding relatively obscure, climate-related government roles. These posts, which garnered tens of millions of views, sparked a wave of online harassment. One of the targeted employees has since deactivated her social media accounts to escape the onslaught.

While the information Musk shared is publicly accessible, the posts cast a spotlight on otherwise low-profile federal employees, whose roles don’t typically involve public interaction. Current federal employees now fear not only for their careers but for their personal safety. Some worry they could become the next targets in Musk’s ongoing crusade against what he deems “fake jobs.”

“Sowing Fear Among Federal Employees”

Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), condemned Musk’s actions. “These tactics are aimed at sowing terror and fear among federal employees,” Kelley said, emphasizing that such intimidation could silence public servants or drive them to quit.

Musk’s behavior isn’t new. He has a history of singling out individuals who oppose or criticize him. Mary “Missy” Cummings, a former federal employee and critic of Tesla’s driver-assist systems, was once in Musk’s crosshairs. Following her appointment as a senior advisor at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), she faced intense harassment, including death threats, and was forced to relocate temporarily.

“It’s his way of intimidating people to quit and sending a message to other agencies: ‘You’re next,’” Cummings explained.

Targeting “Fake Jobs”

Musk’s recent reposts included one by an account called “Datahazard,” which criticized the role of a “Director of Climate Diversification” at the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC). Musk’s comment, “So many fake jobs,” fueled a barrage of attacks. Critics labeled the position a waste of taxpayer money, while some called for a Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency to slash such roles.

Among those targeted were officials from the Department of Energy (DOE), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). One of Musk’s posts about a HUD climate advisor earning $181,648 was accompanied by laughing emojis and the comment, “But maybe her advice is amazing.”

Federal agencies, including HHS, DOE, and HUD, declined to comment on the controversy, while X did not respond to inquiries from CNN.

“An Unchecked Chilling Effect”

Experts in cyber harassment and online abuse declined to comment publicly on the situation, fearing retaliation from Musk and his followers. However, one expert described Musk’s actions as part of a “classic pattern” of online harassment with a chilling effect on public discourse.

Cummings believes Musk’s campaign is working. “Some federal employees, dedicated to civil service, are already quitting to avoid becoming targets,” she said.

While Ramaswamy didn’t address the issue of individual harassment, he criticized the broader federal bureaucracy. “Our opponent is not any individual but the bureaucracy itself,” he stated.

The Price of Speaking Out

Despite the risks, Cummings feels a duty to challenge Musk’s behavior. “Someone has to speak out,” she said. “I’m not going to let him win on this point.”

As federal employees navigate this fraught landscape, the question remains: how far will this battle against “big government” go, and at what personal cost?