President Donald Trump recently met with his Cabinet secretaries and Elon Musk to discuss staffing decisions. Trump made it clear that final job cuts would be left to the discretion of the department leaders, not Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). He emphasized the importance of reducing levels of spending and workforce while retaining the best and most productive employees. Trump’s comments come as concerns have arisen over the sweeping cuts carried out by DOGE, leading to lawsuits, voter anxiety, and pushback from congressional Republicans.
In a rare move, Trump publicly limited Musk’s authority in reshaping the federal government, emphasizing that Cabinet members would have the final say on job cuts. This comes after Musk faced resistance from some Cabinet secretaries when he ordered federal employees to outline their work or face termination. Despite this, Trump praised Musk and DOGE for their work, calling a recent meeting with them “very productive.”
Trump’s directive to his Cabinet members was to keep necessary employees, but indicated that Musk would step in if sufficient cuts weren’t made. The goal is to drastically reduce the federal workforce, with thousands being fired and entire agencies being shuttered. This has caused concern among some Republican members of Congress, leading to calls for more transparency and oversight into DOGE’s work. Musk recently met with Senate and House Republicans to address their concerns and discuss opportunities to improve government expenditures. Overall, Trump’s meeting with his Cabinet and Musk highlighted the delicate balance between streamlining the government and ensuring essential services are maintained.
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