'I don’t trust a word of it': Federal employees have deep skepticism about Trump's promises to control Musk
The president and Republicans are experiencing political backlash due to significant reductions in the workforce.
TroibNews 
Federal workers, Democrats, and even some Republican lawmakers are inclined to think that President Donald Trump took a stand against billionaire adviser Elon Musk on Thursday. However, many are doubtful about the substantiality of this shift.
During a private Cabinet meeting, Trump informed his team that they are responsible for their departments and that Musk lacks the authority to dismiss government employees. This marks a notable change in their relationship if it proves to be true, yet many federal employees expressed skepticism, citing a history of unclear and contradictory guidance. More than a dozen federal workers contacted by PMG reported they had received no instructions from their supervisors or labor unions indicating any immediate changes as a result of Trump's comments.
“I don't really expect them to necessarily start implementing what they say they will,” stated David Casserly, a Department of Labor employee speaking on a personal basis. “I'll believe it when I see it.”
News of the Cabinet meeting incited considerable speculation within the federal workforce regarding the real meaning behind Trump’s comments, which emerge amid increasing legal and political scrutiny. Two ongoing lawsuits contend that Musk's authority within the Trump administration is so extensive that, without Senate confirmation, it breaches constitutional limits.
A USDA employee interpreted Trump’s remarks as "damage control" following the president’s claim in his recent address to Congress that Musk is the “head” of the Department of Government Efficiency. This statement could create legal complications, especially since Trump’s administration had previously argued in court that Musk was not in charge of DOGE and lacked the autonomy to make significant policy decisions.
Musk's popularity appears to be waning in polls, and Republicans in Congress have encountered irate constituents at town halls expressing concerns over DOGE's measures to reduce bureaucracy.
“It’s total bullshit. I don’t know what else to say,” remarked another Labor Department employee. “I don’t trust a word of it,” echoed a third federal worker, who suggested that Trump is merely “attempting to insulate himself a bit from the court losses and the shift in public opinion, but I don’t think it will change anything.”
While DOGE has energized the GOP base eager to cut government waste, the Trump administration has been plagued by reports of essential employees, including nuclear safety workers and bird flu response aides, being dismissed and then quickly re-hired. Republicans have faced backlash regarding layoffs of veterans and rumors about plans to eliminate tens of thousands of positions at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
In a Thursday post on the social media platform Truth Social, Trump diverged from Musk’s aggressive approach to government cuts, stating, “We say the ‘scalpel’ rather than the ‘hatchet.’ It’s very important that we cut levels down to where they should be, but it’s also important to keep the best and most productive people.”
Yet, Trump seemed to contradict himself soon after, telling reporters that Musk would intervene if departments failed to make sufficient cuts. "Elon and the group are going to be watching them, and if they can cut, it's better. And if they don't cut, then Elon will do the cutting,” he noted.
The White House did not provide an immediate response to a request for comments.
Federal workers were quick to notice the mixed messages. At USDA, workers conveyed disbelief that Trump would impose any new restrictions on Musk or that their daily work would change following his remarks.
Funding freezes within the department have hindered employees from processing payments to farmers nationwide, while job reductions in vital regional offices have brought farm loan applications to a crawl. Additionally, DOGE has frozen government credit cards, preventing employees from fueling government vehicles necessary for mandatory farm inspections tied to cost reimbursements.
“Zero optimism and zero trust,” commented one Agriculture Department employee.
On Capitol Hill, Democrats shared similar doubts, although they hope Trump will indeed limit Musk’s influence and halt drastic cuts to the federal workforce.
“If that’s true, that’s good news for the country and the separation of powers,” said Senator Brian Schatz. “But I think it’s reasonable to give it a few business days to see whether any actual change has happened. Because right now, there’s lots of evidence of, sort of, mayhem. If the president wants to get that under control, he can. And if he doesn’t, he won’t.”
In a Friday interview on Fox News, Speaker Mike Johnson suggested that Trump’s remarks foreshadowed a genuine shift in governance. However, he offered few specifics and downplayed any rift between Trump and Musk.
“I think the president kind of did a recalibration yesterday,” he explained. “He brought in Elon and he brought in the Cabinet secretaries, and they had a dialogue about the process to formalize more of this.”
Johnson also mentioned that some government workers would be reinstated and asserted that Veterans Affairs “needs employees who are doing this noble work” of caring for veterans.
“Stay tuned because it's gonna be corrected,” he stated. “I’ve talked to Elon about this personally, and many of us have. He has completely pure motives. He’s trying to make the government work better for the people, all the people. And the essential employees and the people doing great work will come back.”
Despite these assurances, employees across the federal workforce indicated they had not received any guidance from their department heads regarding what, if anything, had changed following Thursday’s Cabinet meeting.
One employee with the federal Forest Service — an agency that has already seen 3,400 workers let go, contributing to the agency chief’s retirement, with thousands more layoffs anticipated — stated that leadership had communicated nothing about the implications of Trump’s remarks, as “nobody knows what to trust these days, whether it’s bluster or not.”
"There is a lot of low morale, fear and anxiety every day with employees,” the employee added.
The administration has faced obstacles in court and elsewhere while attempting to reduce government size, including a recent federal board decision mandating USDA to reinstate over 5,600 workers for at least 45 days.
“Many federal employees who survived the firings can’t do our jobs because of executive order and DOGE restrictions,” said another USDA worker. “I’ll believe they aren’t letting Elon Musk run the show when staff can deliver on their agency mission and the people we serve can access our resources without disruption.”
It remains unclear whether unions representing federal workers are informing their members about any changes following Trump’s comments to his Cabinet. The American Federation of Government Employees and the National Treasury Employees Union did not immediately respond to inquiries about whether they have issued any guidance to workers regarding his statements or if their legal strategy would evolve as a result.
In February, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sent termination letters to hundreds of employees—many working on laboratory safety and critical public health threats—only to reverse course recently for dozens. One employee who faced termination and subsequent reinstatement remarked that Trump’s crackdown on DOGE did not bolster their confidence about job security amid potential future layoffs.
“It feels like there may still be targeting of probationary employees that are trying to build their careers,” the employee noted. “Now that I am rehired, everyone is just talking about the upcoming reduction in force every day. I in no way feel like I will be immune.”
Another CDC employee who was not reinstated expressed disappointment with the turn of events, labeling it “too little too late.”
“Lives have been upended. Americans have been harmed,” the former employee communicated in a message to PMG.
Similarly disheartened, officials at the State Department—where an overhaul is expected following the dissolution of the U.S. Agency for International Development—are hesitant to accept that Musk and DOGE aides are genuinely facing new limitations.
“I don’t think it’s real,” a State Department official said via text. “The ‘if they don’t cut, Elon will’ comments show who’s really in charge.”
Liz Crampton contributed to this report.
Ramin Sohrabi contributed to this report for TROIB News
During a private Cabinet meeting, Trump informed his team that they are responsible for their departments and that Musk lacks the authority to dismiss government employees. This marks a notable change in their relationship if it proves to be true, yet many federal employees expressed skepticism, citing a history of unclear and contradictory guidance. More than a dozen federal workers contacted by PMG reported they had received no instructions from their supervisors or labor unions indicating any immediate changes as a result of Trump's comments.
“I don't really expect them to necessarily start implementing what they say they will,” stated David Casserly, a Department of Labor employee speaking on a personal basis. “I'll believe it when I see it.”
News of the Cabinet meeting incited considerable speculation within the federal workforce regarding the real meaning behind Trump’s comments, which emerge amid increasing legal and political scrutiny. Two ongoing lawsuits contend that Musk's authority within the Trump administration is so extensive that, without Senate confirmation, it breaches constitutional limits.
A USDA employee interpreted Trump’s remarks as "damage control" following the president’s claim in his recent address to Congress that Musk is the “head” of the Department of Government Efficiency. This statement could create legal complications, especially since Trump’s administration had previously argued in court that Musk was not in charge of DOGE and lacked the autonomy to make significant policy decisions.
Musk's popularity appears to be waning in polls, and Republicans in Congress have encountered irate constituents at town halls expressing concerns over DOGE's measures to reduce bureaucracy.
“It’s total bullshit. I don’t know what else to say,” remarked another Labor Department employee. “I don’t trust a word of it,” echoed a third federal worker, who suggested that Trump is merely “attempting to insulate himself a bit from the court losses and the shift in public opinion, but I don’t think it will change anything.”
While DOGE has energized the GOP base eager to cut government waste, the Trump administration has been plagued by reports of essential employees, including nuclear safety workers and bird flu response aides, being dismissed and then quickly re-hired. Republicans have faced backlash regarding layoffs of veterans and rumors about plans to eliminate tens of thousands of positions at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
In a Thursday post on the social media platform Truth Social, Trump diverged from Musk’s aggressive approach to government cuts, stating, “We say the ‘scalpel’ rather than the ‘hatchet.’ It’s very important that we cut levels down to where they should be, but it’s also important to keep the best and most productive people.”
Yet, Trump seemed to contradict himself soon after, telling reporters that Musk would intervene if departments failed to make sufficient cuts. "Elon and the group are going to be watching them, and if they can cut, it's better. And if they don't cut, then Elon will do the cutting,” he noted.
The White House did not provide an immediate response to a request for comments.
Federal workers were quick to notice the mixed messages. At USDA, workers conveyed disbelief that Trump would impose any new restrictions on Musk or that their daily work would change following his remarks.
Funding freezes within the department have hindered employees from processing payments to farmers nationwide, while job reductions in vital regional offices have brought farm loan applications to a crawl. Additionally, DOGE has frozen government credit cards, preventing employees from fueling government vehicles necessary for mandatory farm inspections tied to cost reimbursements.
“Zero optimism and zero trust,” commented one Agriculture Department employee.
On Capitol Hill, Democrats shared similar doubts, although they hope Trump will indeed limit Musk’s influence and halt drastic cuts to the federal workforce.
“If that’s true, that’s good news for the country and the separation of powers,” said Senator Brian Schatz. “But I think it’s reasonable to give it a few business days to see whether any actual change has happened. Because right now, there’s lots of evidence of, sort of, mayhem. If the president wants to get that under control, he can. And if he doesn’t, he won’t.”
In a Friday interview on Fox News, Speaker Mike Johnson suggested that Trump’s remarks foreshadowed a genuine shift in governance. However, he offered few specifics and downplayed any rift between Trump and Musk.
“I think the president kind of did a recalibration yesterday,” he explained. “He brought in Elon and he brought in the Cabinet secretaries, and they had a dialogue about the process to formalize more of this.”
Johnson also mentioned that some government workers would be reinstated and asserted that Veterans Affairs “needs employees who are doing this noble work” of caring for veterans.
“Stay tuned because it's gonna be corrected,” he stated. “I’ve talked to Elon about this personally, and many of us have. He has completely pure motives. He’s trying to make the government work better for the people, all the people. And the essential employees and the people doing great work will come back.”
Despite these assurances, employees across the federal workforce indicated they had not received any guidance from their department heads regarding what, if anything, had changed following Thursday’s Cabinet meeting.
One employee with the federal Forest Service — an agency that has already seen 3,400 workers let go, contributing to the agency chief’s retirement, with thousands more layoffs anticipated — stated that leadership had communicated nothing about the implications of Trump’s remarks, as “nobody knows what to trust these days, whether it’s bluster or not.”
"There is a lot of low morale, fear and anxiety every day with employees,” the employee added.
The administration has faced obstacles in court and elsewhere while attempting to reduce government size, including a recent federal board decision mandating USDA to reinstate over 5,600 workers for at least 45 days.
“Many federal employees who survived the firings can’t do our jobs because of executive order and DOGE restrictions,” said another USDA worker. “I’ll believe they aren’t letting Elon Musk run the show when staff can deliver on their agency mission and the people we serve can access our resources without disruption.”
It remains unclear whether unions representing federal workers are informing their members about any changes following Trump’s comments to his Cabinet. The American Federation of Government Employees and the National Treasury Employees Union did not immediately respond to inquiries about whether they have issued any guidance to workers regarding his statements or if their legal strategy would evolve as a result.
In February, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sent termination letters to hundreds of employees—many working on laboratory safety and critical public health threats—only to reverse course recently for dozens. One employee who faced termination and subsequent reinstatement remarked that Trump’s crackdown on DOGE did not bolster their confidence about job security amid potential future layoffs.
“It feels like there may still be targeting of probationary employees that are trying to build their careers,” the employee noted. “Now that I am rehired, everyone is just talking about the upcoming reduction in force every day. I in no way feel like I will be immune.”
Another CDC employee who was not reinstated expressed disappointment with the turn of events, labeling it “too little too late.”
“Lives have been upended. Americans have been harmed,” the former employee communicated in a message to PMG.
Similarly disheartened, officials at the State Department—where an overhaul is expected following the dissolution of the U.S. Agency for International Development—are hesitant to accept that Musk and DOGE aides are genuinely facing new limitations.
“I don’t think it’s real,” a State Department official said via text. “The ‘if they don’t cut, Elon will’ comments show who’s really in charge.”
Liz Crampton contributed to this report.
Ramin Sohrabi contributed to this report for TROIB News
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