JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

<table id="a">
    <tr>
        <td>First<table><tr><td>nested</td></tr></table></td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>1</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>2</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>3</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>4</td>
    </tr>
</table>

JavaScript

function deleteTableRows(table, rowsToDelete) {
    table = $(table);
    var rows = table.find('> tbody > tr');
    rows.slice(-(rowsToDelete || rows.length)).remove();
}

deleteTableRows("#a", 5);