US President Donald Trump said he is instructing cabinet ministers to use a "scalpel" rather than an "axe" when cutting jobs. The directive was intended to quell dissatisfaction over massive layoffs of federal employees. "I have directed secretaries and leadership to work with the Department of Government Effectiveness on cost reductions and staffing," Trump said in a social media post on Thursday. "Because secretaries know and understand the people who work for each department, they can make very accurate decisions about who will stay and who will leave."
Elon Musk now leads the Department of Government Effectiveness.
"It's very important to get the numbers down to where they should be, but it's also important to keep the best and most efficient people," Trump added.
Trump's message suggests he is seeking to shift more power and responsibility to department leaders, rather than the Department of Government Effectiveness, to make layoffs. The Department of Government Effectiveness, which is tasked with slashing the federal budget, has gone into agencies to obtain data and guide leadership in drawing up layoff lists.
Previously, the Department of Government Efficiency and Musk issued a series of contradictory orders on layoffs, causing concern among Republican allies.
Musk also directed all federal workers to send weekly emails outlining their work for the week in five bullet points. The billionaire hinted that those who don't comply will be fired. But official guidance from the Office of Personnel Management says any personnel decisions are at the discretion of each agency, a point Trump emphasized Thursday.