US President Donald Trump convened his first Cupboard assembly on the White Home on Wednesday. The assembly included Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth. Notably, billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, who shouldn’t be a Cupboard member, was additionally in attendance.
Musk’s function within the Trump Administration
Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, has been designated a particular authorities worker and has been informally tasked with overseeing the newly created Division of Authorities Effectivity (DOGE). White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed his attendance forward of the assembly, stating that Musk would talk about the administration’s efforts to establish waste, fraud, and inefficiencies inside federal companies.
“Musk will talk about DOGE’s efforts and the way the entire cupboard secretaries are figuring out waste, fraud, and abuse at their respective companies,” Leavitt stated on Tuesday.
Trump praises Musk’s involvement
Forward of the assembly, Trump took to Fact Social to specific his confidence in Musk’s contributions. “ALL CABINET MEMBERS ARE EXTREMELY HAPPY WITH ELON. The Media will see that on the Cupboard Assembly this morning!!!” Trump wrote.
Opposition to Musk’s cost-cutting measures
Whereas Musk’s function within the administration has been praised by Trump, his aggressive cost-cutting initiatives have sparked controversy amongst federal staff and division heads. In a current transfer, Musk directed all federal staff to submit a listing of 5 accomplishments from the previous week or face termination. The directive, issued by means of the Workplace of Personnel Administration, brought about confusion and resistance amongst authorities staff.
A number of Senate-confirmed division heads reportedly suggested their staff to ignore Musk’s directive.
Cupboard conferences and coverage path
Cupboard conferences historically embody appointed division heads, the White Home chief of workers, and the president and vp. Whereas Musk’s attendance is uncommon, his affect over the administration’s effectivity initiatives alerts a shift in how the Trump administration approaches governance and federal spending.
The assembly marks the start of what’s anticipated to be a collection of discussions on authorities reforms, with Musk enjoying a central function in reshaping federal operations.