Musk has revelled in the upheaval, even wielding a chainsaw at a conservative political conference last week. His email was also sent to political appointees at the White House who presumably would not be viewed with suspicion by the president, according to two sources. It also was sent to federal judges and other employees of the court system, who make up a separate branch of government and do not answer to the administration. Musk's downsizing effort has laid off more than 20,000 workers so far. He warned that those who do not comply with his order could likewise lose their jobs. "This mess will get sorted out this week," Musk wrote. He said separately that staffers who continue to work remotely would be placed on leave starting this week. DOWNSIZING, REHIRING The confusion echoed the broader turmoil surrounding Trump's return to power. Since taking office on Jan 20, Trump has frozen billions of dollars in foreign assistance and effectively dismantled the US Agency for International Development, stranding medicine and food in warehouses. He has ordered employees of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to cease working, though they also received Musk's email asking to outline their work activities over the past week. The Trump administration has separately offered buyouts to 75,000 workers. In some cases, the government has scrambled to rehire workers who perform critical functions like nuclear weapons oversight and bird flu response. The downsizing also prompted a wave of lawsuits. Charles Farinella, a fired IRS agent in New York, said he was trying to figure out whether he should cancel an upcoming dentist appointment because he had not been told whether he still had coverage through his job. "I don't know what I'm going to do at this point in time. I might have to look to sell my house, because I don't have a severance or anything," he said. "I feel pretty much devastated." The chief of Tesla and social media platform X, Musk has said he aims to cut US$1 trillion from the government's US$6.7 trillion budget.