President Donald Trump set the record straight. Cabinet members are in charge of their respective departments, not Elon Musk.
At least that was the message the president wanted to convey at a Cabinet meeting Thursday, per Politico.
Two administration officials said Musk was free to make recommendations, but could not issue decisions involving staffing and policy.
Musk, who was present at the meeting, has levied mass firings and threatened government workers.
Musk heads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), that is tasked with eliminating government waste. The new department has been criticized by both parties.
Trump clarified any misconceptions involving DOGE’s role in government in that it is advisory — Cabinet secretaries make the final decision.
Musk admitted the DOGE has had a bumpy start, one person said.
The president has said he wants to keep good workers even though his administration has issued mass terminations.
A federal judge and the chair of a federal civil service board have both said the terminations were not due to performance issues and could have violated civil service laws.
It is not clear if the recently laid off workers were going to be rehired.
Trump posted about the meeting on social media.
He said similar meetings will be held every two weeks.
“As the Secretaries learn about, and understand, the people working for the various Departments, they can be very precise as to who will remain, and who will go,” he wrote. “We say the ‘scalpel’ rather than the ‘hatchet.’ The combination of them, Elon, DOGE, and other great people will be able to do things at a historic level.”
The president also told reporters Cabinet members can “keep all the people you want, everybody that you need.”
Trump also said he wanted cuts.
“If they can cut, it’s better. And if they don’t cut, then Elon will do the cutting,” he said.
Musk called it a “very productive meeting.”
