Signs of power struggles? New FBI chief Kash Patel asks his staff to ignore Elon Musk’s ‘justify-your-work’ mail

Hours after being sworn-in as the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) director, Kash Patel has pushed back against Elon Musk’s ultimatum to US federal employees, instructing his staff to "pause any responses" to Musk’s controversial "what did you do last week?" email directive.

Patel, who took charge as the ninth FBI director on Saturday, made it clear that the agency will handle its own internal reviews, signaling a break from Musk’s aggressive productivity inquiry.

"FBI personnel may have received an email from OPM requesting information. The FBI, through the Office of the Director, is in charge of all our review processes… For now, please pause any responses," Patel stated in an email to his staff, as per an NBC report.

Patel’s move highlights growing division within the Trump administration over Musk’s push for increased accountability among federal workers. The NSA has also reportedly advised employees to hold off on responding until further guidance from the Department of Defense.

Musk, who now leads Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), had earlier in the day warned that failure to submit a weekly work summary would be taken as a resignation. The directive came hours after Trump urged him to "be more aggressive" in cutting government spending.

The email, sent via the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM), had a Monday night deadline but did not explicitly threaten termination. Following criticism, Musk softened his stance, stating that "any bullet points that make sense" would be accepted.

Despite the resistance from Patel and others, Trump publicly backed Musk at the Conservative Political Action Conference, calling him a "patriot" and praising his "great job" in making the government more efficient.

With federal agencies now pushing back, Musk’s bold attempt to reshape government operations faces its first major roadblock with some terming it a “power struggle” among the two influential personalities in Trump’s close circles.