A video of a federal worker sharing his experience after Elon Musk’s visit to his agency has gone viral, sparking a heated debate about federal job security. The footage, taken at a town hall event in Virginia, shows a man identifying himself as a federal employee. He did not reveal his name or agency but described drastic changes following Musk’s presence.
“I was nervous to come up here and speak for fear of retaliation,” the worker said. “In the last week, Elon Musk visited our building. After his visit, he called for a 50 percent cut to the entire agency.” His remarks were met with gasps from the audience.
He went on to describe how employees were being forced to justify their jobs in one-on-one meetings with young and inexperienced staff members. “My colleagues are having 15-minute check-ins with 19, 20, 21-year-old college freshers, being asked to explain why they should keep their jobs,” he said.
According to him, supervisors were instructed to withhold information from their teams. He also revealed that managers were now required to complete justification forms as part of an upcoming staff reduction process. “We just got word that there’s going to be a 30 percent ‘rank and yank’—meaning 30 percent of the staff will be removed,” he added.
The worker also made an unexpected claim about Musk’s influence at the agency. He alleged that one of Musk’s top executives had moved into the agency’s sixth floor with his wife and child. “Their section has been blocked off with a special access list,” he said.
The town hall event, which hosted around 300 people, was led by Democratic Representative Suhas Subramanyam. The discussion quickly gained traction online, with many debating whether such drastic changes should be allowed in a federal agency.
Meanwhile, Elon Musk’s team has faced increasing scrutiny, especially the group linked to his project, DOGE. Last week, the DOGE staff reportedly had a standoff at the USAID office due to restricted access. Reports suggest that many of Musk’s closest aides are young and lack experience in federal administration, though they maintain direct communication with Musk.
Additionally, DOGE team member Marko Elez became the center of controversy after his past social media posts resurfaced. Elez resigned amid the backlash, but Musk later held an online poll on X (formerly Twitter), where a majority voted for his return. Following the poll, Musk reportedly decided to rehire him.
The viral video has fueled concerns over transparency, job security, and Musk’s growing influence in government agencies. Many are questioning whether federal employees should be subjected to such drastic changes driven by a private billionaire. The situation continues to develop, with more federal workers expected to come forward.
