Exclusive: Trump administration to formally axe Elon Musk's 'five things' email
The Office of Personnel Management, the federal human resources agency that implemented Musk's push to slash the federal workforce, plans to announce the end of the "five things" email to HR representatives across the federal government later on Tuesday, the two people said, declining to be named because the matter was not public.
While many federal agencies had already phased out compliance with the weekly email, the move, not previously reported, signals the Trump administration is turning the page on one of Musk's most unpopular initiatives following a dramatic row between the two men in early June.
The White House and OPM did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Musk, who spent over a quarter of a billion dollars to help Trump win November's presidential election, led the Department of Government Efficiency's efforts to slash the budget and cut the federal workforce until his departure in May to refocus on his tech empire.
Musk initially received a warm White House sendoff from Trump, but then incurred the president's wrath by describing Trump's tax cut and spending bill as an abomination.
Trump pulled the nomination of Musk ally and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA and later threatened to cancel billions of dollars worth of federal contracts with Musk's companies after the blowup between the two men.
The "five things" email, launched by Musk in February to boost accountability, sparked tensions with department chiefs who were blindsided by the weekend email mandating the move. It also fueled confusion among government workers who received mixed messages about whether and how to comply.
Reuters reported in March that the White House installed two Trump loyalists at OPM to ensure better policy coordination between the White House and the agency.
Scott Kupor, a venture capitalist who took the helm at OPM in July, foreshadowed the end of the initiative last month, describing processing of the weekly response emails as "very manual" and "not efficient."
It is "something that we should look at and see, like, are we getting the value out of it that at least the people who put it in place thought they were," he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
12 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Donald Trump breaks silence on major Putin summit with three-word review
Donald Trump has finally addressed the possibility of a face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, hours after reports of a summit started to circulate Donald Trump has finally spoken out about the buzz surrounding a potential summit with Vladimir Putin, mere hours after speculation about such a meeting began to make headlines. During a press conference at the White House on Wednesday evening, Trump indicated that there is a "very good prospect" for what could be a momentous one-on-one with Putin. While the press conference in the Oval Office was primarily about Apple's multi-billion-dollar investment in the US, the topic shifted when Trump was probed by journalists regarding the rumours of a summit with Putin. He responded: "There is a very good prospect that we will [meet]." This development unfolds as Trump dealt Russia two significant setbacks within hours earlier today, despite suggestions that he might be willing to engage with Putin as early as next week. The White House reaffirmed on Wednesday its commitment to imposing secondary sanctions on Moscow, with this Friday, August 8, marking the deadline set by Trump for Putin to cease hostilities in Ukraine. Washington had already issued a stark warning that it would severely impact the Russian economy if Moscow did not actively seek peace in Ukraine. Today, the White House doubled down on its commitment to implement regulations that will bar third parties from engaging in trade with entities under Russian sanctions—a policy set to take effect in a mere 48 hours, reports the Express. This firm stance was maintained despite President Trump's remarks that his special envoy Steve Witkoff's recent dialogue with Putin "went well". Taking to Truth Social this afternoon, President Trump posted: "My Special Envoy, Steve Witkoff, just had a highly productive meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "Great progress was made! Afterwards, I updated some of our European Allies. Everyone agrees this war must come to a close, and we will work towards that in the days and weeks to come. Thank you for your attention to this matter!". Earlier in the day, President Trump had branded Russia as an "extraordinary threat" to US national security and foreign policy. He announced this as he enacted an executive order to slap an additional 25% tariff on Indian imports of Russian oil. President Trump clarified his position, stating: "I determine that it is necessary and appropriate to impose an additional ad valorem duty on imports of articles of India, which is directly or indirectly importing Russian Federation oil." The US administration is aiming to cut off a significant source of revenue for the Kremlin by targeting Russian oil sales, thereby crippling their ability to fund the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Daily Mail
12 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Trump wants National Guard to tackle crime in DC after violent attack on 'Big Balls'
President Trump vowed to 'federalize' Washington and send in the National Guard on Wednesday to crush violent crime in the nation's capital, citing the brutal assault of a young pro-Trump staffer known by the nickname 'Big Balls' as a breaking point. During a press conference Trump confirmed he is actively considering seizing control of DC law enforcement - a drastic step that would override local government authority and place the capital's policing under federal command. 'We're considering it because the crime is ridiculous,' Trump told reporters. 'We have a capital that's very unsafe. You know, we just almost lost a young man, beautiful, handsome guy that got the hell knocked out of him the night before last. I'm going to call him now.' The young man Trump referenced is Edward Coristine, a 19-year-old government worker affectionately dubbed 'Big Balls' by his colleagues. Coristine was violently beaten during an attempted carjacking near Dupont Circle around 3am Sunday, while defending his girlfriend from a group of teenage assailants. Two 15-year-olds have since been arrested in connection with the attack, which left Coristine hospitalized with a concussion and facial injuries. The case has quickly become the focus for Trump's broader campaign to dismantle what he calls ' Democrat chaos' in the capital. 'There's too much of it,' Trump said. 'We're going to do something about it… and that includes bringing in the National Guard - maybe very quickly.' Trump, who returned to the White House for a second term pledging to 'crush the deep state' and restore 'law and order,' has repeatedly portrayed Washington, DC, as a lawless zone of crime and dysfunction. 'We want to have a great, safe capital - and we're going to have it,' he said. 'That includes cleanliness, it includes other things… graffiti, roads that are in bad shape, medians that are falling down. We're going to beautify the city.' Asked by a reporter whether he supported overturning the DC Home Rule Act, which grants the city limited self-governance, Trump confirmed his legal team was 'already studying it.' 'We have to run DC,' he declared. 'This has to be the best-run place in the country, not the worst-run place in the country. And it has so much potential.' The remarks come just days after Trump posted an image of Coristine with blood running down his face, writing on Truth Social that D.C. crime was 'out of control' and that teenage criminals were 'randomly attacking, mugging, maiming, and shooting innocent citizens.' 'They are not afraid of law enforcement because they know nothing ever happens to them, but it's going to happen now!' Trump warned. Coristine, who became known as 'Big Balls' for his outspoken fearlessness during late-night brainstorming sessions with Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has become an unexpected symbol of the administration's push to remake the capital. 'My friend Big Balls is a hero,' wrote close friend Marko Elez on X, sharing a photo of Coristine after the assault. 'He protected a young woman from an attempted carjacking by 8 thugs near Dupont Circle. 'Violence like this in the heart of DC is completely unacceptable,' Elez added. Even Elon Musk, under whom Coristine once worked as part of DOGE's original design team weighed in online. 'A Doge team member saw what was happening, ran to defend her and was severely beaten to the point of concussion, but he saved her,' Musk wrote. 'It is time to federalize DC.' Coristine, whose boyish face and Ivy League pedigree belied his MAGA bulldog persona, previously appeared in a Fox News segment highlighting his work to cut federal waste. But now his injuries, sustained in what police say was an attempted robbery by a group of teenagers, have made him the face of Trump's federal crime crackdown. While the Metropolitan Police Department confirmed it arrested two teens from Maryland in connection with the attack, but DC officials have been tight-lipped about further details. A spokesperson for the US Attorney's Office declined to confirm additional charges, citing an active investigation. Attorney General Brian Schwalb addressed the outrage in a statement to The Daily Mail. 'No one who lives in, works in, or visits DC should experience this. It is horrific and disturbing… When MPD brings us cases with sufficient evidence of juveniles who have broken the law and hurt people, we will prosecute them and ensure they face consequences.' But that's not good enough for Trump, or Jeanine Pirro, his newly appointed U.S. Attorney for the District. 'Our job is to get guns off the street, drugs off the street, and take care of those individuals that are threatening and carjacking other people,' Pirro said in a video message from the White House. 'And that's just what we're going to do. If you don't buy into it, you're going to have to deal with us.' The episode has reignited long-simmering Republican calls to strip Washington, D.C., of its autonomy, or at least curtail it dramatically. Trump allies in Congress have already proposed legislation to repeal home rule and bring the capital under full federal control. That effort is certain to face resistance from D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, who h as not commented publicly on Coristine's assault but has in the past fiercely defended the city's right to govern itself. While violent crime in the capital is reportedly down more than 25% from this time last year, carjackings and juvenile involvement in violent incidents remain stubbornly high. Just last year, a 14-year-old was charged with the killing of a Lyft driver in another high-profile carjacking. 'The rate of crime, the rate of muggings, killings, and everything else - we're not going to let it continue,' Trump asserted. 'You're going to be safe walking down streets. You're not going to get mugged.'
The Guardian
12 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Trump news at a glance: president hails progress on Ukraine war and threatens India with steep tariffs
US president Donald Trump may meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin as early as next week to discuss the war in Ukraine, White House officials have said. The development comes as senior administration officials have also warned that serious 'impediments' remain to achieving a ceasefire. Secretary of state Marco Rubio said he was hopeful the progress could lead to a meeting between Putin and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy in future, but that he did not want to overstate progress made during US special envoy Steve Witkoff's visit to Moscow. 'What we have is a better understanding of the conditions under which Russia would be willing to end the war,' he said. The US would then need to compare that with 'what the Ukrainians are willing to accept'. Here are today's key stories at a glance: Donald Trump has claimed 'great progress was made' during talks on ending the war in Ukraine between his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin on Wednesday. The three-hour talks came two days before a deadline the US president set for Russia to reach a peace deal in the war or face fresh sanctions. Read the full story The White House is placing an additional 25% tariff on imports from India, bringing total tariffs up to 50%, in retaliation for the country's purchase of oil from Russia, according to an executive order signed on Wednesday morning. India has 21 days to respond to the potential tariffs before they go into effect. The tariffs will be tacked on to a 25% tariff on India Donald Trump set last week as a 'penalty' for the country's trading relationship with Russia. Read the full story Donald Trump on Wednesday celebrated a commitment by Apple to increase its investments in US manufacturing by an additional $100bn over the next four years. Apple's plan to up its domestic investment comes as it seeks to avoid Trump's threatened tariffs, which would increase the tech giant's costs as it relies on a complex international supply chain to produce its iPhones. Read the full story Donald Trump said he would impose a 100% tariff on foreign computer chips, likely raising the cost of electronics, autos, household appliances and other goods deemed essential for the digital age. Read the full story Texas Democrats who left the state say they experienced a bomb threat at their Illinois hotel amid an ongoing clash with Republicans over their effort to block a new congressional map from going into place. Read the full story A new report has found hundreds of reported cases of human rights abuses in US immigration detention centers. The alleged abuses uncovered include deaths in custody, physical and sexual abuse of detainees, denial of access to attorneys, and child separation. Read the full story The report comes on the same day that US border patrol agents carried out a raid outside a Home Depot in Los Angeles on Wednesday, with officers jumping out of an unmarked rental truck and chasing and arresting more than a dozen people. The raid raised questions about whether the US government was complying with a federal court order. Read the full story In a sweeping escalation of its attacks on institutions of higher education, Trump administration has suspended $584m in federal funding for the University of California, Los Angeles – nearly double the amount that was previously expected, the school's chancellor announced on Wednesday. Read the full story JD Vance's team had the army corps of engineers take the unusual step of changing the outflow of a lake in Ohio to accommodate a recent boating excursion on a family holiday, the Guardian has learned. Read the full story Republican senator and Trump ally Marsha Blackburn announced she will run for governor of Tennessee. Donald Trump is threatening to strip Washington DC of its local governance and place it under direct federal control after an alleged assault on a Doge employee. JD Vance was reportedly to host a meeting on Wednesday evening at his residence with a handful of senior Trump administration officials to discuss their strategy for dealing with the ongoing scandal surrounding the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Donald Trump is threatening to strip Washington DC of its local governance and place the US capital under direct federal control, citing what he described as rampant youth crime. Catching up? Here's what happened on 5 August 2025.
