President Trump said on Thursday that the next phase of his plan to cut the federal work force would be conducted with a “scalpel” rather than a “hatchet” in what appeared to be a step aimed at restraining Elon Musk.
In a meeting earlier in the day, Mr. Trump directed his cabinet secretaries to work with his jobs-cutting guru, Mr. Musk, while also assuring his agency leaders that they have a say in the firings and should keep “good people.”
The move — to both publicly support Mr. Musk and also reel in some of his indiscriminate approach — reflects a growing unease among Republicans with the chain saw that Mr. Musk has taken to the federal government and the disdain he conveys not just for the bureaucracy but the work force itself.
Some cabinet members have voiced concerns to the White House about the chaotic nature of Mr. Musk’s “ready, fire, aim” method of cuts, according to multiple people briefed on the matter, and his approach has dominated news coverage.
Some of Mr. Trump’s allies have privately pointed out that his own voters are part of the federal work force, including veterans. And some of his most loyal supporters depend on Social Security benefits, which Mr. Musk has derided as a Ponzi scheme. Republicans are facing such animosity at town halls in their districts over the cuts that House members have been instructed to stop holding them in person.
And the administration has had some losses in court related to Mr. Musk’s role at the Department of Government Efficiency, which is leading the federal overhaul.