Trump on D.O.G.E firings: “I feel bad, but they weren’t working at all’

President Donald Trump on Wednesday addressed the thousands of federal employees losing their jobs, saying he felt “very badly” for them but insisting many “don’t work at all.”

Speaking at an Oval Office meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin, he responded to questions about whether he felt responsible for the mass firings.

“Sure I do. I feel very badly,” Trump reportedly told NBC News, “but many of them don’t work at all. Many of them never showed up to work.”

Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (D.O.G.E) has been the one behind the widespread cuts across multiple federal agencies. Trump defended the firings, telling reporters that his administration was “cutting the people that aren’t working or … not doing a good job.” He pointed out that only “the best people” were being kept.

Government jobs slashed as Trump shrinks federal agencies

D.O.G.E’s cuts have gutted federal agencies, with some departments losing half their workforce. The Department of Education was among the hardest hit, with Education Secretary Linda McMahon leading the layoffs.

“Linda is a real professional … very sophisticated businessperson, and she cut a large number, but she kept the best people,” Trump said. “But our country was run very badly. I mean, whether it was that or contracts that were signed, that was so bad, so obviously bad.”

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) followed with a mass exodus after employees were offered voluntary buyouts. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) also saw a wave of firings as government contracts were canceled.

Trump framed the cuts as necessary, saying billions of dollars in “fat and waste and fraud and abuse” were being eliminated from the federal government.

“We have a dream,” he said. “And you know what the dream is? We’re going to move the Department of Education into the states so that the states, instead of bureaucrats working in Washington, can run education.”

The layoffs have drawn criticism, but White House adviser Alina Habba dismissed concerns. “I really don’t feel sorry for them,” she said.

“They should get back to work for the American people, like President Trump and this administration.” She also said military veterans affected by the layoffs “may not be fit to have a job at this moment.”

Elon’s D.O.G.E faces more and more legal scrutiny

Meanwhile, Elon, who is the world’s richest man and Trump’s largest campaign donor, has promised to double D.O.G.E size, though its authority is consistently being challenged in court.

On Wednesday, US District Judge Tanya Chutkan ordered Elon to hand over documents revealing how D.O.G.E operates and who is involved in response to a lawsuit filed by 14 Democratic state attorneys general that accuses Elon of wielding powers that legally require Senate confirmation.

“The state attorneys general are being allowed to obtain documents from Elon to clarify the scope of his authority,” Chutkan wrote in her decision.

For weeks, Elon has fought to keep D.O.G.E’s structure a secret. As a “special government employee,” he is not required to make financial disclosures public.

The White House initially said Elon was merely a senior adviser to Trump, meaning he had no formal decision-making power. But then, in his now-famous Congressional hearing, Trump repeatedly said, “Elon is heading D.O.G.E,” adding that “he’s doing a remarkable job, and he didn’t have to. He doesn’t need this.”

Courts push for more transparency from Elon and D.O.G.E

The lawsuit centers on whether Elon is acting as a principal officer of the government. The Constitution states that officials with executive power must be nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate.

Elon has not gone through that process, but his sweeping cuts to federal programs suggest he is exercising that level of authority.

In another legal setback for D.O.G.E, US District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled that the agency’s power means it is likely subject to public records requests. His decision forces D.O.G.E to turn over thousands of pages of documents for review.

“The unprecedented authority of D.O.G.E and its unusual secrecy in bulldozing through the federal government require transparency,” Cooper wrote in his ruling.

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