Trump 2nd term live updates: Fired Joint Chiefs chairman posts farewell message

Federal workers who aren't closely tracking Elon Musk on social media may be completely unaware there's an ultimatum on the table.

While the administration did ask federal employees to list their accomplishments -- the email did not state that those who failed to respond by the deadline would be fired.

That threat only comes from Musk on social media.

And he doubled down on Monday morning, writing: "Those who do not take this email seriously will soon be furthering their career elsewhere."

It raises the question: who is really calling the shots here? Elon Musk or the federal agencies telling their employees not to respond?

Are federal employees supposed to track Elon Musk on the social media platform he owns for guidance?

That's no easy task. For context, Musk posted more than 150 times on X this weekend alone.

Musk Monday morning is continuing to act as if he does have authority over the federal workforce, threatening employees with administrative leave if they do not return to work this week.

"Those who ignored President Trump's executive order to return to work have now received over a month's warning," Musk wrote this morning on X. "Starting this week, those who still fail to return to office will be placed on administrative leave."

-ABC News' Rachel Scott

Gen. Charles "CQ" Brown, the outgoing chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, posted a farewell message saying it had been his "distinct honor" to serve as a member of the military body that advises the president.

"As Chairman, I focused on Warfighting, Modernization, and Trust," Brown said in a post on LinkedIn. "The Joint Force's commitment to our security has never been more critical. I'm confident you will continue to stand resolute in defense of our Nation."

President Donald Trump fired on Friday Brown and Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the Navy's top admiral, marking the first time that two members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff had been dismissed from their senior military roles.

-ABC News' Luis Martinez

President Donald Trump named Dan Bongino as deputy FBI director on Sunday to serve under newly confirmed director Kash Patel.

Bongino, who left Fox News in 2023, hosts the popular right-wing and pro-Trump podcast called "The Dan Bongino Show," which ranks among Apple’s top 10 news podcasts.

Bongino is a former Secret Service agent who Trump eyed during the transition as a potential candidate for the director of the Secret Service before announcing his lead agent, Sean Curran, for the job.

The FBI's deputy director has always been someone from the bureau's own ranks, not a political appointment. It's the highest-ranking FBI job that does not need to be appointed by the president and does not require Senate confirmation.

Bongino has stoked conspiracy theories surrounding the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and has been one of the FBI's harshest critics over what he has characterized as its targeting of Trump and Republicans.

He was banned from YouTube in 2022 after posting misinformation about COVID-19.

ABC News' Katherine Faulders and Will Steakin

President Donald Trump's administration said that approximately 2,000 USAID personnel in the U.S. will be terminated and others around the world will be placed on administrative leave just before midnight on Sunday.

"As of 11:59 p.m. EST on Sunday, February 23, 2025, all USAID direct hire personnel, with the exception of designated personnel responsible for mission-critical functions, core leadership and/or specially designated programs, will be placed on administrative leave globally," a notice on the government's website reads.

USAID indicates that there will be an exception for employees who handle mission-critical functions.

According to the USAID government website, employees will receive individual notices on Sunday as well as instructions within the next week to retrieve their belongings from the USAID workplace in Washington, D.C.

The notice also suggests that overseas personnel will retain access to agency systems and to diplomatic resources until they return from overseas safely.

-ABC News' Kelsey Walsh