Trump to Hold Another Cabinet Meeting with Elon Musk

Trump to Hold Another Cabinet Meeting with Elon Musk

President Donald Trump is set to convene a Cabinet meeting on Monday morning, with billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk expected to be in attendance. According to a senior administration official, the discussion will serve as a "follow-up on the last DOGE meeting," which took place on March 6.

During the previous meeting, Trump addressed concerns over spending cuts initiated by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). He emphasized that department heads should be "very precise" in their approach to reducing expenses, favoring a "scalpel" method rather than a "hatchet" approach. However, he also made it clear that if agency leaders failed to make sufficient cuts, Musk would step in to oversee reductions.

The meeting reportedly became tense when Musk criticized Secretary of State Marco Rubio for failing to implement any personnel reductions, according to The New York Times. In response, Trump announced that follow-up meetings would be held biweekly to ensure continued progress.

This upcoming meeting occurs against the backdrop of ongoing legal battles over immigration policies and the administration’s preparations to introduce new tariffs. Additionally, Musk’s growing involvement in government decision-making has drawn significant scrutiny.

Speculation arose last week about Musk potentially receiving a classified briefing on U.S. military strategies related to China during an upcoming Pentagon visit. However, Trump dismissed these claims, stating that Musk’s presence at the Pentagon was strictly related to his work with DOGE. "He’s not there for China. If you even mentioned China, I think he’d walk out of the room," Trump asserted.

At the last Cabinet meeting, Musk elaborated on DOGE’s objectives, describing the agency as "a support function for the president and for departments to identify and eliminate 15% of waste and fraud." Trump lauded Musk’s dedication, stating, "He’s sacrificing a lot. He’s getting a lot of praise, but he’s also taking a lot of heat."

Tensions have arisen as some department heads reportedly resisted directives from DOGE and Musk’s team, particularly a recent mandate requiring staff members to provide a five-point summary detailing their weekly accomplishments. The upcoming meeting is expected to further address these challenges and reinforce the administration’s commitment to budget efficiency.