WASHINGTON — Republicans are urging the Trump administration to reduce its “antagonistic” tactics toward government employees, as lawmakers have been bombarded with complaints and concerns from constituents over the last two weeks.
More than a dozen lawmakers have been met with protests at their local town halls as constituents complain about the Department of Government Efficiency’s mass layoffs, with several government employees expressing concerns about their future in the federal workforce.
Republican lawmakers have acknowledged their concerns, stating that they are in discussions with the Trump administration about the “counterproductive approach.”
“Demonizing a workforce that is strong and works hard for little pay is not the direction that we should be going,” Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah, said in a virtual town hall on Tuesday.
“(Federal workers) want to be part of the solution, but the communication coming from the DOGE world has been antagonistic. And it isn’t helpful. And I have overcommunicated that.”
Moore specifically referred to an email sent to federal employees last week requesting an overview of tasks completed the previous week, to which Musk suggested on X that failure to respond would be considered a resignation notice.
The missive sparked a firestorm of outrage and confusion online, with some employees questioning the legality of such a requirement and others condemning it as disrespectful.
Moore stated that he does not “agree with that approach” and believes it is “counterproductive to the fact that so many people want to be a part of the solution.”
“There’s a lot of ways to find waste, fraud, and abuse … without touching personnel,” Moore told reporters.
Other Republicans have received a flurry of constituent concerns about DOGE’s actions, and they have stated that they will forward those complaints to the Trump administration in an effort to tone down the rhetoric.
“Ironically, when I first met Elon Musk, he was asked, ‘What could Republicans do better?’ His response was… “I think you guys could come across as more compassionate.”
Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Ga., told NBC News that he was surprised by a contentious town hall last week. “So I’m going to use (Elon’s) own words when I talk to him.”
Several other lawmakers, including Reps. Cliff Bentz, R-Ore., Stephanie Bice, R-Okla., and Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wis., have had heated exchanges with constituents.
While many constituent concerns appear to be legitimate, some are political in nature. Partisan groups have urged activists to attend town hall meetings or protest outside legislators’ offices “to fight back against the Trump-Musk agenda.” Many of these efforts focused on Republicans in competitive districts.
“MoveOn members and allies will show up at congressional-led town halls and congressional offices across the country, targeting House Republicans whose votes will be crucial in opposing Trump and Musk’s harmful policies,” MoveOn, a political advocacy group, said in a press release.
Some Republicans dismissed the protests, pointing out that many of the concerns raised were primarily about Musk rather than the actual spending cuts.
“I’ve never heard anyone say they didn’t want to cut anything; they just don’t like Elon,” Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., told reporters. “We’re moving forward with the cuts.”
