ISTANBUL

More than one million federal employees responded to an email requesting details of their work activities, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt confirmed on Tuesday.

"I actually participated in it myself. It took me about a minute and a half to think of five things I did last week," Leavitt told reporters during a White House briefing, revealing that less than half of the nation's 2.3 million federal workforce complied with the request.

"All federal workers should be working at the same pace that President (Donald) Trump is working and moving. We have a country to save," Leavitt added.

The email initiative, announced last week by Elon Musk, who oversees the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), required federal employees to list five work activities from the previous week as part of the Trump administration's government downsizing efforts.

Despite the White House’s stance, several agencies — including the Justice Department, the FBI, and the Pentagon — instructed employees to ignore Musk’s request. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) – the government’s human resources department - later directed agencies to handle the situation internally, leaving decisions to individual departments.

"The agency heads will determine the best practices for their employees at their specific agencies," Leavitt said, advising federal workers to respond unless directed otherwise by their agencies.

Musk announced Monday that non-respondents would receive "another chance," but warned that failing to respond a second time could result in termination.