US President Donald Trump has called for a careful approach to reducing the number of federal officials, emphasizing that it is better to use a “scalpel, not an ax“. His call comes at a time when his ally Elon Musk, who heads the government efficiency department, is undertaking a large-scale campaign against the federal bureaucracy, reported Agence France-Presse.
“It is important to reduce the number of personnel to the desired levels, but it is also important to retain the best and most qualified people“, Trump said on the social network “Truth Social“. "Let's use a scalpel, not an axe," he added.
Since the beginning of the week, between 40,000 and 50,000 cuts have been announced in the tax system, more than 70,000 in the Department of Veterans Affairs, and a possible closure of the Department of Education.
At the same time, the attorney general of New York State and 19 other attorneys general from other states have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over the mass layoffs of federal employees, Reuters reported.
The lawsuit was filed by states governed by Democrats, alleging that Trump illegally fired tens of thousands of federal employees and demanding their reinstatement.