I'm not sure it's that bloated. The US is doing much better than most countries regarding headcount at the federal level. The Department of Defense, Veterans Affairs, Department of Homeland Security, USPS, make up about 2/3 of the total.

I think it was just another campaign tactic, theater for the masses and the reality is very different. It's programs that cost the American people the most so if Elon and Vivek want to save money, they will need to look at programs like SS, Veterans benefits, Medicare, Education, etc.