WASHINGTON — As President Donald Trump convened his Cabinet for the first meeting of his new term on Wednesday, Elon Musk’s power was on full display as he dominated the discussions with the backing from Trump.
Musk, whose actions to reshape the federal governnent have stoked fear and confusion among government employees, as well in some Republicans in Congress.
“He’s sacrificing a lot,” Trump said as he introduced Musk. “He’s getting a lot of praise, I’ll tell you, but he’s also getting hit.”
Trump’s first Cabinet meeting showcased the power duo of Trump and Musk, displaying the hierarchy in his administration as Trump gave Musk the floor to speak at the start of the meeting.
Musk defended DOGE and its work as “a support function for the president and for the agencies and departments to help achieve those savings to effectively find 15% reduction in fraud and waste.”
“And we bring the receipts,” Musk added.
When it came time for questions, one reporter asked Musk if any of Trump’s members of the Cabinet who weren’t pleased with his directives.
“Is anybody unhappy?” Trump asked the room, which broke out in applause. “I think everyone’s not only happy, they’re thrilled.”
On Truth Social, Trump was much more direct.
“ALL CABINET MEMBERS ARE EXTREMELY HAPPY WITH ELON,” Trump wrote. “The Media will see that at the Cabinet Meeting this morning!!!”
While not a member of his Cabinet, Musk’s influence is obvious. He’s been by Trump’s side since he was elected last year, appearing at Mar-a-Lago, where he joined meetings with senior advisers.
Defending Musk’s email throughout the meeting, Trump indicated that federal workers who failed to respond could lose their jobs.
“Those people are on the bubble, as they say,” Trump said. “You know, maybe they’re going to be gone, maybe they’re not around, maybe they have other jobs, maybe they moved and they’re not where they’re supposed to be.”
Musk and Trump notably walked back a campaign promise, saying that he wants DOGE to save the government $1 trillion rather than the $2 trillion he promised on the trail.
“We’re looking to get it maybe to $1 trillion, if we can do that. We’re going to start getting to be at a point where we can think in terms of balancing budgets,” Trump said. “And that’s a big — whether it’s this year or next year, I think we’ll be very close to balancing budgets.”
