Elon Musk was the first person asked Trump to speak at a Cabinet meeting
Agencies
27/02/2025
Elon Musk (standing, left) speaks at a Cabinet meeting chaired by President Trump (seated, right) at the White House, Washington, on Wednesday. - AP Image
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said one of the reasons he was chosen to lead the administration was to balance the budget and "get our budget back to a better state".
Trump said this while speaking at the start of the first Cabinet meeting of his second term in office.
He then introduced Elon Musk to Cabinet members, stating Musk was "sacrificing a lot... and received a lot of praise, but he also received criticism." Musk later woke up and said that the "main goal" of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team was to "help address a very large deficit".
"We cannot sustain it," he said, "if this continues, the country will be de facto bankrupt."
"This is not an option, but a necessity," he added.
At the Cabinet meeting, Trump also admitted that there were some members of his Cabinet who "disagreed" with Musk following a CNN report that the tech billionaire's instructions to Federal employees began to cause displeasure among Cabinet Secretaries.
"Is there anyone who is dissatisfied with Elon? If anything, we'll get them out of here," said Trump, who received a different response from Cabinet members sitting around the table in the Cabinet meeting room.
He added: "They (Cabinet members) have a lot of respect for Elon and what he is doing. And there are those who disagree a little (with Musk). But overall, I think not only are they happy, but also excited."
The statement came after CNN's Alayna Treene reported that Cabinet officials were not informed in advance of an email from the US Office of Personnel Management on Saturday at Musk's behest, who asked: "What did you do last week?"
The email has sparked questions about who has the authority to issue directives to staff in various departments.
Earlier, President Trump held his first official Cabinet meeting since the start of his second term – a meeting with agency leaders who took different approaches to demonstrating their loyalty to Trump publicly and privately.
Musk, who is leading efforts to reduce the federal government's workforce but is not a member of the Cabinet, was also present at the meeting.
The White House previously informed that Musk was present because "the Cabinet Secretary received advice and instructions" from DOGE, which is led by the founder of the Tesla electric car brand.
Although officially Musk is only a senior adviser to the President, he plays a big role in the Trump administration.
This happens even though he - unlike a real Cabinet member - will not be confirmed by the Senate. So far, 18 out of 22 Cabinet candidates have been confirmed.
Wednesday's meeting was intended as an opportunity to coordinate efforts and ensure that Trump's federal agency chiefs "move in tandem," according to a White House official.
Cabinet meetings that usually start with a group photo session turned out to be something different during Trump's first term.
He began by touting the achievements of his administration, followed by each member of the Cabinet who took turns praising the President in front of the television cameras. -Agencies
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