(NewsNation) — President Donald Trump is reining in Elon Musk’s firing capabilities with the Department of Government Efficiency amid concerns of overreach. The department has fired at least 10% of the federal workforce since January.
Trump told Cabinet secretaries that staffing decisions would ultimately be up to them rather than Musk or DOGE, top administration officials told Politico.
“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,'” Trump said on social media following what he called a “very positive” meeting Thursday.
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The directive comes after several weeks of mass firings, confusion and backlash from constituents and lawmakers alike as DOGE gutted long-standing federal entities.
While new changes to the federal workforce from DOGE may be limited, Musk’s orders have already reshaped the future of the Social Security Administration, Internal Revenue Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, among other agencies.
Social Security closing dozens of offices nationwide
One of the latest agencies swept up in cost-cutting efforts is the Social Security Administration, which is now closing dozens of offices nationwide.
This week, Biden-era Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley warned that payments to the more than 72 million eligible Americans would be interrupted in the next 30 to 90 days due to cuts made by DOGE.
“People are being fired for cost. And this agency is on its way to breaking down. And you know will be breaking it? It’ll be Elon Musk. It’s the guy with the chainsaw,” O’Malley said on “Elizabeth Vargas Reports.”
Job cuts last month higher than any February since 2009
“This is ridiculous that these folks are tearing apart the most important domestic group in America and the agency that administers it,” he added.
The SSA is cutting approximately 7,000 jobs from its current workforce of about 60,000.
Though Trump has repeatedly said benefits will not be touched, Democrats worry the layoffs will affect the agency’s ability to send out payments in a timely manner.
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The IRS plans to cut half of its currently 90,000 person workforce, two sources familiar with the situation told the Associated Press. Already, nearly 7,000 IRS employees who have worked with the agency for less than a year have been let go.
A smaller workforce means slower processing times and longer hold times with customer service —not only potentially delaying tax returns but also their accuracy.
The layoffs come after IRS employees who were involved in tax season were told in February that they would not be allowed to accept a buyout offer from the Trump administration until mid-May, after the taxpayer-filing deadline.
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Adam Brewer, a tax attorney with AB Tax Law, told NewsNation that those who file electronically and receive their refund through direct deposit will likely be unaffected.
“Those taxpayers who always file by paper, I would say this is the year to cut that out,” Brewer said. “You need to get with the times, so to speak.”
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As millions are planning spring break and summer vacations, the Trump administration has fired nearly 2,000 recently hired employees at the U.S. Forest Service and another 1,000 at the National Park Service.
An internal memo obtained by the Los Angeles Times and New York Times said that another 700 year-round NPS employees took buyouts.
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Parks across the U.S. are cutting services and hours amid the overhaul.
“People should be prepared to lower their standards because they may very well see things like long lines on the way into the park, dirty bathrooms, or even some closed bathrooms or visitor centers,” John Garder, a representative for the National Parks Conservation Association Government, told NewsNation.
NWS, NOAA cuts could spell trouble for safety
The administration has fired around 800 workers from the National Weather Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which put out hundreds of forecasts daily.
It’s estimated that NOAA’s 301 billion weather forecasts reach 96% of American households each year, even if the agency’s work goes largely unnoticed.
The firings are “going to affect safety of flight, safety of shipping, safety of everyday Americans,” Adm. Tim Gallaudet told the Associated Press on Friday. President Donald Trump appointed Gallaudet as acting NOAA chief during his last administration. “Lives are at risk for sure,” he said.
The overhaul comes as America braces for tornado and planting season, both of which require accurate forecasting.
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Navy veteran Hendrick Simoes, despite getting an exemplary review, lost his job because he was in his probationary period.
Simoes told NewsNation the cuts will not only affect weather forecasts but also the quality of the nation’s food supply.
“NOAA Fisheries inspects seafood, making sure seafood is safe. For example, in the Carolinas, there are wildfires there,” Simoes said. “People don’t realize NOAA plays a role in early detection and provides information to emergency responders, information they need to fight those fires.”
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An accurate forecast is important not only for the general public but also for skiers and mountain drivers who rely on avalanche predictions to stay safe.
“We save lives, and there are people alive today because of the work we do,” Doug Chabot, who directed the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center in Montana for nearly 24 years, told the Associated Press.
Chabot warned funding and program cuts will “affect our ability to save lives.”
NewsNation’s Sierra Campbell, Anna Kutz and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
