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Donald Trump has taken steps to limit Elon Musk’s cost-cutting task force, instructing his cabinet to make sure that the “most effective” civil servants are safeguarded from widespread layoffs that have disrupted countless lives across the United States.
During a meeting at the White House on Thursday, which included secretaries of state and Musk, the president suggested that the billionaire’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency might have been too sweeping in its approach to terminating federal employees.
Trump shared on Truth Social shortly after the meeting concluded: “As the secretaries become familiar with the personnel working in various departments, they will be better positioned to determine who stays and who goes. We advocate for the ‘scalpel’ approach over the ‘hatchet’ approach.”
The president’s remarks come in light of increasing concerns among Republican lawmakers and cabinet members regarding the rapidity and scope of Musk’s layoffs, which have impacted at least 20,000 federal employees, including veterans and cancer researchers.
“It’s crucial that we reduce staff levels to what is appropriate, but it is equally important to retain the most talented and productive individuals,” Trump noted in his post. “We’ll hold these meetings every fortnight until we address this crucial aspect of this necessary process.”
In a statement to reporters at the White House on Thursday, Trump elaborated: “I don’t want to see significant cuts where many valuable people are let go . . . I want the cabinet members to prioritize retaining all the essential personnel.”
Trump’s post mirrored sentiments expressed by New York Republican congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis last month, who urged Musk to apply a “scalpel rather than a sledgehammer” in finding savings “to prevent unintended consequences and unnecessary anxiety.”
This week, Senate majority leader John Thune remarked that dismissals “must be carried out respectfully,” while several of his Republican colleagues have softly criticized proposed reductions in scientific research funding, aid spending, and the layoffs of FBI personnel.
In response to these apprehensions, Musk agreed on Wednesday to share his personal phone number with some Republican senators, allowing them to reach out regarding any problematic cuts, as reported by some attendees.
House Speaker Mike Johnson advised Republican lawmakers to refrain from holding in-person meetings in their districts, following instances where several members faced loud protests over Musk’s cuts at town halls in states such as Georgia, Texas, and Kansas.
Earlier this week, the Trump administration quietly clarified the directive that initiated the firings, emphasizing that it was up to agencies to decide if they would dismiss employees.
Last week, a federal judge prohibited the US government’s Office of Personnel Management—an essential component of Musk’s Doge initiative—from terminating probationary workers at certain departments, clarifying that the office “does not possess any authority whatsoever under any statute throughout history to hire and fire employees at another agency.”
Some probationary employees terminated from the National Science Foundation last month were reported to be rehired on Monday, according to the agency. Additionally, the US government was compelled last month to reinstate employees at the National Nuclear Security Administration.
