President Donald Trump made headlines with a statement addressing the recent wave of federal worker layoffs spearheaded by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Speaking to reporters, Trump expressed a mix of sympathy and criticism, saying he feels “very badly” for the thousands of civil servants who have lost their jobs in recent weeks, while adding that “many of them don’t work at all.”
NBC News, one of the first to cover the story, quoted Trump directly during a Wednesday interview in Washington, D.C.
When asked if he feels responsible for the job losses, Trump responded, “Sure I do,” before pivoting to his claim that his administration is “keeping the best people.”
The outlet highlighted the broader context of the layoffs, noting that they have affected workers across federal departments, both in the capital and beyond, under the direction of Musk, Trump’s biggest campaign donor and the world’s richest man.
The president’s comments come on the heels of earlier statements from White House adviser Alina Habba, who took a harsher stance.
NBC News reported that last week, Habba said, “I really don’t feel sorry for them,” urging federal employees to “get back to work for the American people.”
She also controversially suggested that military veterans impacted by the layoffs might not be “fit to have a job at this moment,” drawing sharp criticism from veterans’ groups and labor advocates.
Other news outlets have since picked up the story, framing Trump’s remarks within the larger narrative of DOGE’s aggressive cost-cutting measures.
A report circulating on X, attributed to AOL, echoed NBC’s coverage, reiterating Trump’s assertion that “many of them don’t work at all” while emphasizing his sympathy for those affected.
Though the AOL report’s full authenticity remains unverified, it aligns with the president’s statements as documented by established sources.
The cuts, which Musk recently described as affecting “pretty much” every federal department, have been a lightning rod for controversy.
According to NBC News, Musk has signaled plans to double DOGE’s size, intensifying the pace of firings.
Critics argue that the layoffs disproportionately harm essential workers, while supporters, including Trump, maintain that they are necessary to streamline government inefficiency.
Posts on X reflect a polarized public response. Some users, like @ladycheshirebab, expressed agreement with Trump’s assessment, linking to the NBC News article in support.
Others, such as @MakeTexasBlue22, took a more critical view, sarcastically noting Trump’s inherited wealth and questioning his authority to judge workers’ efforts. These sentiments underscore the divisive nature of the issue as it unfolds.
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