November 27th 2024.
When President-elect Donald Trump announced that Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy would be advising him on major cuts to the federal government, many public employees were understandably worried about their job security. But now, they have a new fear to contend with: becoming personal targets of the world's richest man, and his army of followers. This fear was sparked by a recent incident where Musk reposted two X posts that revealed the names and titles of four relatively unknown government employees in climate-related positions. The posts quickly went viral, resulting in a deluge of negative attention for the individuals named. One of them even had to delete her social media accounts to escape the harassment.
It's worth noting that the information Musk shared was already publicly available through online databases. However, by targeting these government employees who hold relatively obscure roles, Musk has made them vulnerable to personal attacks from his followers. This has caused a great deal of anxiety among federal employees, with some fearing for their physical safety and others worried that they may have to leave their jobs to avoid being targeted.
According to Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, this is a deliberate tactic by Musk to intimidate federal employees and prevent them from speaking out. He believes that Musk's actions are meant to create a culture of fear among government workers, making them hesitant to voice their opinions or concerns. And this is not the first time that Musk has singled out individuals who he believes stand in his way or have made mistakes. In fact, one former federal employee who was previously targeted by Musk has also spoken out about the intimidating tactics he employs.
Last week's incident involved Musk reposting an X account with the handle Fentasyl and the name "Datahazard," which claims to be a "Think Tank" focused on government efficiency, civil rights, and victim advocacy. One of the posts shared by Musk criticized the employment of a "Director of Climate Diversification" at the US International Development Finance Corporation, along with a partial screenshot of the employee's profile. In response, Musk, who has previously declared himself to be "super pro-climate," commented that there are "so many fake jobs" in the government. The post gained over 33 million views and sparked a barrage of negative comments, with some calling for Musk's Department of Government Efficiency to cut more jobs like this. The targeted employee has since gone dark on social media, and the agency has declined to comment on the matter.
Musk also called out the Department of Energy's chief climate officer in its loan programs office, who works to promote clean energy deployment. This officer was involved in awarding Tesla Motors a $465 million loan in 2010, which helped the company become a leader in the electric vehicle industry. Another woman, who serves as a senior advisor on environmental justice and climate change at the Department of Health and Human Services, was also targeted by Musk. It remains to be seen what impact these incidents will have on the targeted individuals and their roles within the government.
When President-elect Donald Trump announced that Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy would be advising his administration on major cuts to the federal government, it sent a wave of anxiety throughout the public sector. Many government employees were left wondering if their jobs would be at risk in the coming months.
But now, there's a new fear looming over these workers - the possibility of becoming personal targets of one of the most powerful and influential men in the world, Elon Musk, and his massive following. Last week, amidst his usual flurry of social media posts, Musk shared two X posts that publicly revealed the names and job titles of four relatively unknown government employees in climate-related positions.
These posts quickly went viral, with millions of views and countless negative comments directed at the individuals named. One of the four women has even deleted her social media accounts in response. While the information Musk shared is technically public knowledge, it's rare for government employees in non-public facing roles to be singled out in such a public and potentially harmful way.
Some current federal employees have expressed their concern to CNN, stating that they fear for their safety and the potential consequences of being targeted by Musk. Some even worry that this could result in them leaving their jobs in order to avoid becoming a target of his attacks.
Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents over 800,000 civilian federal workers, has called out Musk's actions as a tactic to intimidate and silence government employees. He believes that it's a deliberate effort to create a culture of fear and discourage workers from speaking out against Musk's smaller government agenda.
But this is not the first time Musk has targeted individuals he believes stand in his way or have made mistakes. One former federal employee, who was previously attacked by Musk, has shared her own similar experience. Mary "Missy" Cummings, a professor at George Mason University, was criticized by Musk for her critiques of Tesla when she was working at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Last week, Musk reposted an account with the handle Fentasyl and the name "Datahazard," which claims to be a "Think Tank" focused on government efficiency, civil rights, and victim advocacy. One of the posts shared by this account targeted a Director of Climate Diversification at the US International Development Finance Corporation, calling the position a "fake job."
Musk, who has previously stated his support for climate action, commented on the post, "So many fake jobs." The post received over 33 million views and sparked a storm of negative comments, with many calling for Musk to cut these types of positions. As a result, the woman targeted by Musk has since gone dark on social media, shutting down her accounts.
The US International Development Finance Corporation has stated that they support investment in climate mitigation and adaptation in low-income countries, but they do not comment on individual personnel matters. Musk also called out the Department of Energy's chief climate officer, who works to promote clean energy deployment and reduce barriers to investment. This officer's work was instrumental in providing early investment for Musk's electric vehicle company, Tesla Motors.
Another woman targeted by Musk serves as a senior advisor on environmental justice and climate change at the Department of Health and Human Services. She, too, was subjected to negative comments and backlash from Musk's followers.
In the end, it's clear that Musk's actions have caused fear and distress among government employees, and some worry that it could lead to a culture of silence and intimidation. It remains to be seen how this will impact these workers and their jobs in the long run.
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