Trump Asks Musk to Use “Scalpel Rather than Hatchet”

US President Donald Trump is pleased with the work of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is headed by Elon Musk, but he asked the head of the agency to be more cautious when cutting employees of federal agencies. “We say ‘scalpel’ rather than ‘hatchet,’’ Trump wrote on his Truth Social network, noting that cuts are necessary but at the same time “it’s important to keep the best and most productive people,” gazeta.ru reported. The president’s statements, according to Agence France-Presse, can be construed as a first step to limit the DOGE’s powers. On 6 March, Politico wrote that the politician held a meeting with senior members of his office During the meeting, he said that Musk was authorized to give recommendations to departments, but not to make unilateral decisions on staffing and policy. It comes after the efficiency department faced lawsuits and criticism from Democratic lawmakers and some Republicans over a series of mass layoffs of state employees.