Federal employees receive rogue email targeting Donald Trump: A communication blunder sparks chaos at NOAA

A major mishap in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has left thousands of federal employees reeling after they received an offensive email about former President Donald Trump. The email, filled with expletives, was sent after the government’s Office of Personnel Management (OPM) offered federal workers the opportunity to resign, igniting chaos within the agency.The trouble began when the OPM sent an email to nearly three million federal employees, offering a “deferred resignation” option, which would take effect at the end of September. The communication warned that those who rejected the offer might face an uncertain future, including possible position eliminations. The language was clear, but little did they know that a simple communication glitch would soon turn the situation into a full-blown scandal.

According to independent journalist Ken Klippenstein, an employee with a deep disdain for the new political climate took it upon themselves to send out an unsolicited message to all 13,000 federal employees of the NOAA. The subject line? “Resign.” But it was the body of the email that stunned recipients: “Aren’t you tired of working for a complete c***?”

Technical Blunder Exposed: No Security or Screening in Place

The unfiltered message was allegedly triggered by a newly introduced communications system that had yet to be tested properly, allowing an employee to shoot off a message to the entire agency without any screening or oversight. “Goes to show you how fast this [new comms system] was cobbled together—no security or screening on this address,” one employee commented, reflecting the growing frustration with the chaotic rollout.

NOAA officials scrambled to address the fallout, with Deputy Director of Communications Scott Smullen issuing a swift apology to the affected employees. “I’m sorry this happened to us. I will report it,” Smullen said in a memo to staff, trying to calm the anger brewing among employees.

A Deep Communication Crisis

However, this wasn’t just an isolated incident. Klippenstein, who was quick to test the system himself, also sent an email to all 13,000 NOAA employees, highlighting the issue: “The Trump administration’s changes to their communications system made it so literally anyone can blast messages out to the entire agency.” His point was clear: the system had serious vulnerabilities, allowing messages to be sent without proper checks, and employees were quickly flooded with a mix of spam, explicit content, and bizarre messages. A post on the federal employee forum FedNews painted a troubling picture of the system’s aftermath. “We’re being spammed with ads, explicit, and simply weird emails,” a user commented, illustrating how the new communications setup quickly spiraled out of control. The incident is raising questions about the security and reliability of government communication systems. While the OPM’s message was meant to help employees navigate the uncertain times, the rogue email has exposed deeper flaws in the way federal agencies are handling sensitive communications.