LESTER HOLT: Elon Musk tonight claiming savings to taxpayers from layoffs in the federal government workforce but in Alabama, NBC’s Gabe Gutierrez speaking to former FEMA employees who say the cuts have gone too far.
GABE GUTIERREZ: Just days after President Trump placed new limits on Elon Musk's downsizing of the federal bureaucracy, placing Cabinet secretaries in charge of layoffs, Musk tonight touting cooperation.
ELON MUSK: What we do is in consultation with the Cabinet secretaries and with their departments.
GUTIERREZ: Did you ever think this would happen?
AILEEN RENAUD: No.
GUTIERREZ: Air Force veteran and mother of two Aileen Reneau had been working at FEMA's Center for Domestic Preparedness here in Anniston, Alabama. She helped train first responders until she was laid off on Presidents' Day.
RENEAU: I thought: “Well, they're going to take a scalpel to fraud, waste, and abuse, not just hack off the entire limb.”
GUTIERREZ: Since Inauguration Day, more than 200 FEMA employees have been cut, just 1% of the 20,000 employees in the FEMA workforce. A government watchdog report in 2022 found the agency was understaffed by 35%. Also among FEMA's layoffs, Marine Corps veteran and father of three John Wippler.
JOHN WIPPLER: I'm sure there are some things that need to be cut down and removed, but does everything need to be?
GUTIERREZ: Under fire for its response to Hurricane Helene last year, FEMA drew backlash from President Trump.
DONALD TRUMP: And FEMA’s turned out to be a disaster. (VIDEO SWIPE) I think we're going to recommend that FEMA go away and we pay directly, we pay a percentage to the state.
GUTIERREZ: But Aileen Reneau has this message for the president.
RENEAU: Really look at what you're doing to families and individuals across America in small towns, towns, counties, and states that voted for you. And realize that you're not draining the swamp. You are just hurting your everyday blue-collar and white-collar workers that were trying to be public servants and help you make America Great Again.
GUTIERREZ: Also today, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that 83% of all foreign aid programs under USAID would be cancelled. Lester.
HOLT: Gabe Gutierrez, thank you.