Adam Kinzinger Clashes with GOP Strategist Over Elon Musk’s Mass Federal Worker Firings

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Alex Jane
February 24, 2025
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8 minutes read

(Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc/ Getty Images)

Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger and Republican strategist Kristin Davison sparred over Elon Musk’s controversial decision to lay off federal workers en masse, igniting a heated debate on the impact of job cuts within the U.S. government.

The debate erupted after Musk posted on X (formerly Twitter) over the weekend, demanding that federal employees submit an email listing five tasks they had completed in the past week—or face termination. Davison, praising the move, argued that such “creative tension” was necessary to streamline government operations.

“It’s about time we reduce the number of government workers,” Davison asserted, suggesting the cuts were long overdue. Kinzinger, however, pushed back, warning that Musk’s aggressive approach was eliminating essential roles that many Americans rely on.

“The government is all of a sudden going to find that it has an age problem, and then when people’s Social Security checks [are delayed] or, as a veteran, they’re firing people at the VA hotline, the suicide prevention hotline—which, by the way, three years ago or so, we plussed up because too many veterans were killing themselves.

Now all of a sudden we’re cutting that because we want to save a few dollars,” Kinzinger explained. While Kinzinger acknowledged the need for government reform, he criticized Musk’s blunt tactics. “I’m all for it, but this is the wrong way of doing it,” he said.

U.S. Rep Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) delivers remarks during the last meeting of the House Select Committee to investigate the Capitol attack on Dec. 19 in Washington, DC. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

He also took aim at Musk’s recent CPAC appearance, where the billionaire was seen joking with a chainsaw. “Elon Musk smiling and giggling on the stage of CPAC with a chainsaw? That is going to come back in every commercial against every Republican candidate about, ‘Yeah, you didn’t get your Social Security check on time or, you know, veterans that have taken their own life.’ This guy was laughing about it on the stage with a chainsaw.”

Davison countered, arguing that Musk’s approach, though controversial, was necessary for disruptive change. “He’s not part of government. It’s to break glass and change,” she said. “He’s already said we’re going to––.”

Kinzinger cut in sharply, emphasizing the importance of due process. “But there is a legal way to do it, and there’s an Elon way,” he argued, noting that Musk’s methods had already faced multiple legal challenges.

As the debate rages on, Musk’s federal job cuts remain a divisive issue, with critics warning of unintended consequences and supporters praising his unconventional approach to government reform.