The same “fork in the road” memo that Elon Musk sent to Twitter employees in 2022 has now landed in the inboxes of federal workers. This time, it’s not about social media—it’s about the U.S. government.

When Musk took over Twitter, he gave employees a tough choice: commit to intense, “hardcore” work or leave. The federal memo is strikingly similar, asking workers to pledge loyalty and excellence or resign with a buyout. It’s a clear sign that Musk’s tech company playbook is making its way into government operations.

Experts are questioning whether this approach fits. Cutting staff in a tech company is one thing, but applying the same strategy to the federal government could lead to chaos. Twitter’s struggles under Musk—service outages, layoffs, and a massive drop in value—are fresh in everyone’s minds. Could the government face similar issues?

Lara Cohen, a former Twitter executive, compared Musk’s Twitter takeover to the current federal spending freeze. “This is the country,” she wrote, “and this will hurt people beyond repair.”

Musk has long talked about shrinking the government, and his role in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) puts him in a prime position to make it happen. His influence is evident, and President Trump seems supportive. But as experts point out, running a government isn’t the same as running a business.

Musk’s track record at Twitter isn’t exactly reassuring. Layoffs, data center closures, and weakened content moderation have left the platform less reliable and more controversial. The company’s value has dropped by 80%, and many users and advertisers have moved elsewhere. Yet, Musk’s personal power has only grown.

With Musk now advising Trump and working from the White House, his strategies are likely here to stay. Whether that’s good news or bad remains to be seen.

—CNN’s Samantha Waldenberg and Alayna Treene contributed to this report.