(TheProudRepublic.com) – In a recent interview, Vice President JD Vance revealed that Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) firings have been a massive mistake.
The Trump administration’s DOGE has faced backlash for mass terminations that may have mistakenly targeted valuable civil servants alongside underperformers.
Vance acknowledged that while government waste exists, Musk has made “mistakes” in executing widespread layoffs across federal agencies.
The Vice President’s comments reveal growing tensions within the administration over how aggressively to pursue the promised draining of the Washington swamp.
“Elon himself has said that sometimes you do something, you make a mistake, and then you undo the mistake. I’m accepting of mistakes,” Vance stated, signaling a more measured approach than Musk’s aggressive cutting strategy.
Musk’s DOGE department has targeted numerous agencies, including the IRS, CIA, and Interior Department.
The billionaire entrepreneur has publicly criticized some federal workers as “fraudsters” and questioned their job performance, famously claiming there are “dead people” still on government payrolls.
While supporting the overall mission to reduce government bloat, Vance carefully balanced cleaning the house and firing valuable workers.
“I think some people clearly are collecting a check and not doing a job. Now, how many people is that? I don’t know, in a 3 million-strong federal workforce, whether it’s a few thousand or much larger than that,” Vance explained.
“However big the problem is, it is a problem when people are living off the generosity of the American taxpayer in a civil service job and not doing the people’s business,” the Vice President added.
Moreover, reports indicate growing friction between Musk and other Cabinet members over his aggressive agency cuts.
Sources describe heated exchanges with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy during recent meetings, suggesting internal disagreement over the scope and pace of downsizing.
Although the administration remains committed to its promise of streamlining government, Vance’s comments suggest a recognition that some pushback against DOGE may be warranted.
A Quinnipiac University poll shows Americans split on the issue, with 60% disapproving of DOGE’s approach while 36% support it.
The administration also faces legal challenges, with several federal orders halting mass terminations following lawsuits from affected workers.
These legal obstacles underscore the difficulty of rapidly reforming entrenched bureaucratic systems built over decades by previous administrations.
DOGE’s actions represent the strongest attempt in generations to fundamentally reshape the federal workforce, fulfilling President Trump’s campaign promise to take on the administrative state.
The question now is not whether to cut but how to ensure the right employees are targeted while protecting those who genuinely serve the American people.
Vance’s public acknowledgment of “mistakes” indicates the administration is willing to adjust course while maintaining its commitment to the core mission of government efficiency and accountability to taxpayers.
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