JD Vance on Elon Musk's job cuts: 'Mistakes were made, but can be fixed'

US Vice President JD Vance has admitted that Elon Musk made some mistakes while cutting federal jobs in an effort to curb government overspending. Speaking to NBC News, the Vice President said Musk himself has acknowledged the missteps and emphasized the importance of correcting errors swiftly.

“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.

While addressing the issue, Vance also recognized the efforts of federal workers, saying many are doing a good job and should be retained. “There are a lot of good people who work in the government a lot of people who are doing a very good job,” he said. The Vice President stressed the need for a balanced approach to government downsizing.

Elon Musk has been leading President Donald Trump’s push to shrink the federal workforce, arguing that many government employees contribute little to no productivity. The layoffs have sparked debate, with critics questioning the impact on essential services.

Vance acknowledged that while reducing government inefficiencies is necessary, some valuable employees may have been let go in the process. “We want to try to preserve as much of what works in government as possible while eliminating what doesn’t work,” he added.

Tens of thousands of job losses have been announced by agencies, including the Department of Education, which Trump has said he wants to eliminate altogether. According to news agency Associated Press, at least 24,000 probationary employees have been terminated since Trump took office, the lawsuit alleges, though the government has not confirmed that number.