The debate over government worker accountability took a heated turn when Alina Habba fiercely defended the request for federal employees to justify their work.
The uproar began when Elon Musk, through his DOGE initiative, required government workers to submit five bullet points detailing their weekly accomplishments.
Some employees pushed back, claiming the demand was unnecessary, while others simply ignored it. Habba, however, had no patience for the complaints.
Habba’s No-Nonsense Response
Speaking to reporters outside the White House on Tuesday, Habba made it clear that she found the task incredibly simple and saw no reason for the resistance.
“It’s very simple—would you want to pay someone to do a job and they don’t show up to work?” she asked.
“I can name five things—five bullet points—in about five minutes of me coming into the office every day. If you struggle to do that for a week, there’s no excuse.”
She acknowledged that some employees might need an extra day to comply but insisted that everyone should be able to answer the request without hesitation.
Confusion Among Federal Workers
While some employees refused to respond out of principle, others were genuinely confused about whether they were even allowed to.
Reports indicated that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) had given conflicting guidance, with some agency heads advising their workers not to respond at all.
This left many unsure whether to follow Musk’s directive or listen to their department heads.
Habba acknowledged the dilemma, recognizing that certain agencies handle top-secret information that might restrict what employees can disclose.
“There’s a lot of complications I’m not going to get into,” she admitted, but made it clear that when it comes to overall direction, federal employees should be following one person: President Donald Trump.
The Deadline Drama and Musk’s Ultimatum
The request for bullet points wasn’t just a casual ask—it came with a firm deadline.
Sent out late Saturday night, the OPM email required responses by 11:59 p.m. on Monday.
Many workers were frustrated, arguing that the timeline was unreasonable, particularly for those on leave or without access to work emails.
The situation escalated when Musk posted on X that failure to reply would be considered a resignation.
This sent shockwaves through the federal workforce, with many feeling blindsided.
Some also pointed out that Musk’s aggressive cuts to federal contracts and workforce reductions had left agencies understaffed, making it difficult to take time for such tasks.
The White House and Republican Perspective
Despite the backlash, the White House and many Republicans strongly supported the accountability push.
Habba reinforced the idea that public servants must be answerable to the American people.
“People need to be accountable. You need to be able to answer the question,” she asserted.
“I can’t not show up to work every day. I have to answer to the president, and by answering to the president, I answer to the American people.”
For those still struggling with the request, she had a blunt response: “I’m not sure why you’re confused or why it’s so hard to answer what five things you’ve done in the past week.”
White House Press Secretary Joins the Discussion
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt took the conversation further by personally responding to the OPM request.
During her briefing on Tuesday, she revealed that she had sent an email outlining her own work, including holding a press briefing, delivering a speech at CPAC, staffing Trump’s speech at the event, and appearing on Fox News for interviews.
She emphasized how easy the task was, noting that it took her just two minutes to complete.
What’s Next?
With tensions high, it remains to be seen how federal employees will react moving forward.
Will Musk’s tough stance force compliance, or will the pushback continue?
Either way, one thing is clear—Habba and the White House aren’t backing down on their demand for accountability.