By Charles Switzer
11:06am PST, Feb 20, 2025
A Change of Heart on DOGE Layoffs
Fox News host
Jesse Watters, who previously championed President
Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) layoffs, expressed a rare moment of sympathy on Wednesday, February 19.
Speaking on
The Five, he admitted that after hearing from a military veteran personally affected by the mass layoffs, his perspective shifted. "Finally, I found one person who got DOGE'd and it hit me in the heart," he said.
Despite his continued support for government downsizing, Watters suggested that certain groups, particularly veterans should be given priority consideration when it comes to job security.
Here are three other key points he made.
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Veterans vs. DEI Workers: A Controversial Distinction
Watters argued that while many federal employees are losing their jobs, some groups deserve protection more than others. "When you're talking about DOGE'ing people, veterans should get priority," he insisted.
He contrasted this with diversity, equity and inclusion
(DEI) workers, many of whom were among the first to be dismissed after Trump dismantled federal DEI programs. However, the mass layoffs have not just affected DEI positions but have also impacted probationary employees who have held their jobs for less than a year, with numbers estimated in the hundreds of thousands.
Departments such as Health and Human Services, Defense, Veterans Affairs, Homeland Security and even the National Park Service have all seen massive cuts.
Watters Calls for More Sensitivity Amid Hypocrisy Claims
During the segment, Watters recounted a message from a veteran named Chris who had lost his job, quoting him as saying, "Jesse, this is not good. I'm upset. This is really sad."
The moment led Watters to call for a softer approach when discussing the layoffs. "We just need to be a little bit less callous with the way we talk about DOGE'ing people," he told co-host Harold Ford.
However, Ford was quick to call out the inconsistency in Watters' stance, accusing him of contradicting his previous arguments. "You're arguing with yourself," Ford shot back, to which Watters defensively responded, "I am not guilty of that!"
Defending the Layoffs While Acknowledging Their Impact
Despite his newfound sensitivity, Watters still defended the layoffs as a necessary measure against excessive government spending. Earlier in the week, he dismissed Democratic outrage over the mass job losses, arguing that some dismissed workers were receiving "cushy buyout packages and severance."
In a previous Fox News segment, he doubled down on the justification for the cuts, stating: "Every department should have to justify themselves. We are not picking on people. Every department is going to get DOGE'd. We have to stop this
insane spending." While Watters now acknowledges that some federal employees — particularly veterans — may deserve more consideration, his broader support for the drastic cuts remains unchanged.
