Trump moves to limit Musk’s federal job cuts amid growing backlash

Elon Musk

Donald Trump has ordered his cabinet to protect essential federal employees from Elon Musk’s aggressive job cuts, signalling concerns over the sweeping downsizing efforts led by Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). In a White House meeting on Thursday, attended by senior cabinet officials and Musk, Trump suggested that the billionaire’s restructuring may have been too indiscriminate in its execution.

Trump posted on Truth Social following the meeting: “As the secretaries learn about, and understand, the people working for the various departments, they can be very precise as to who will remain, and who will go. We say the ‘scalpel’ rather than the ‘hatchet.’”

His remarks come amid rising concern among Republican lawmakers and administration officials over the pace and scale of DOGE’s layoffs, which have already affected at least 20,000 federal employees, including veterans and key scientific researchers.

Concerns over rapid restructuring

Republican leaders have begun voicing unease over the impact of the cuts. Senate Majority Leader John Thune emphasized that the dismissals should be done in a “respectful way,” while other lawmakers have warned against reductions in critical sectors, including scientific research and FBI staffing.

Nicole Malliotakis, a Republican congresswoman from New York, echoed Trump’s stance last month, urging DOGE to apply a “scalpel, not a sledgehammer” in its efforts to streamline government operations. Some of her Republican colleagues have privately criticized the proposed cuts to foreign aid and national security personnel.

Musk, who has faced increasing scrutiny over his approach, agreed on Wednesday to provide select Republican senators with his personal contact information to address their concerns over specific layoffs.

White House shifts approach to layoffs

Amid the growing pushback, the Trump administration clarified its directive earlier this week, stating that individual federal agencies will have the authority to determine whether employees should be dismissed. The move appears to be an attempt to slow the rapid downsizing while maintaining Trump’s commitment to reducing government inefficiency.

Legal challenges have also emerged. Last week, a federal judge ruled that the US government’s Office of Personnel Management, which plays a central role in implementing DOGE’s cuts, does not have the authority to fire probationary workers at agencies outside its jurisdiction. The decision has already led to some employees at the National Science Foundation and the National Nuclear Security Administration being rehired.

Trump has promised to continue biweekly meetings with cabinet officials to assess the restructuring process, stating, “It’s very important that we cut levels down to where they should be, but it’s also important to keep the best and most productive people.”

As protests against the cuts continue in multiple states, Republican lawmakers are urging the administration to approach the restructuring with more caution. House Speaker Mike Johnson has advised GOP members to avoid in-person meetings in their districts following disruptions at recent town halls over the federal job losses.