Trump seeks harmony between his Cabinet and Musk on DOGE reductions
The tension surrounding Musk's involvement peaked this week during a heated Cabinet meeting.
TroibNews 
For over a month, President Donald Trump has allowed Elon Musk significant leeway to reshape the federal bureaucracy.
This week, while publicly praising Musk's efforts, Trump has also sought to mediate tensions between the tech entrepreneur and his Cabinet, which has become increasingly dissatisfied with Musk's influence over their agencies.
The frustration peaked during a tense Cabinet meeting on Thursday, where Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, and Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins voiced their concerns about Musk, according to a source who requested anonymity to share private details. During this meeting, first reported by PMG, Trump emphasized that responsibility for their departments lies with his Cabinet secretaries, not Musk.
The source revealed that Rubio “jumped his shit” at Musk, while Duffy and Collins articulated specific issues regarding budget cuts affecting their agencies. Rubio was particularly upset that Musk had distanced himself from the mass layoffs during a prior meeting with lawmakers.
Trump appreciated the assertiveness displayed by his secretaries. "Trump was very impressed. These guys who are pretty quiet got in [Musk’s] face and called him a liar in front of the president,” the source mentioned, adding that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also expressed concerns to Trump about Musk prior to the Cabinet meeting, saying, “this is out of control, with these emails he’s sending, these are real people, we’re not doing this.”
As Musk's actions have become a point of contention in Washington, his hard-line cuts to federal programs, significant staffing reductions, and demands for employees to report weekly accomplishments have drawn comparisons to his management style at Twitter, now known as X. While many Republicans on Capitol Hill and the Trump administration support reducing what they consider to be a bloated federal bureaucracy, there are rising worries about Musk's methods. Even Musk has acknowledged that he will make mistakes.
Addressing reporters in the Oval Office on Friday, Trump asserted that Rubio and Musk “get along fantastic” and that there was “no clash” between them. "Marco has done unbelievably as secretary of State," he said. "And Elon is a unique guy and has done a fantastic job."
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that "everyone is working as one team to help President Trump deliver on his promise to make our government more efficient.” She added that the meeting was "great and productive" in discussing cost-cutting measures and staffing across the federal government.
A spokesperson for the Veterans Affairs department mentioned they are “working with DOGE and the rest of the administration” to enhance efficiency while retaining the best federal employees. Similarly, a spokesperson from the Transportation Department highlighted Duffy’s post on X that referred to the meeting as “productive.” Duffy remarked, "The President's approach of a scalpel versus a hatchet and better coordination between Secretaries and DOGE is the right approach to revolutionizing the way our government is run."
Congressional Republicans have faced mounting pressure as the cuts have started to impact their districts, with some constituents demanding explanations at town halls.
Concerns about DOGE had been surfacing among GOP senators since at least February 25, when Senate Majority Leader John Thune indicated that he preferred Cabinet officials, not Musk, to lead their departments: “I think that’s why we worked so hard to get these folks confirmed and they’re now in a position to make those decisions," Thune remarked.
The following day, several senators shared their grievances about DOGE during a private lunch with Trump's chief of staff Susie Wiles. She encouraged senators facing difficulties to reach out to her directly, and many did. According to two people familiar with the discussions, numerous senators were in contact with the White House about their concerns.
“These guys were bitching, ‘Why have we done all this heavy lifting on these confirmations, and this guy's running the thing? It's a black box. Nobody knows what's going on,’” disclosed a source with knowledge of the situation.
Publicly, some members of Congress have adopted a more conciliatory tone toward Musk, recognizing their alignment with his aim to reduce federal bureaucracy, even if they acknowledge he has made mistakes.
Speaker Mike Johnson praised Musk’s “pure motives” on Fox News, stating he is among many lawmakers who have conversed with the billionaire. “In Elon's defense, there is no playbook for what he's doing,” he noted, adding, “there are gonna be some mishaps and mistakes along the way, but we will do course correction immediately.” Johnson characterized the Thursday meeting with Musk and the Cabinet as a “recalibration” that would “formalize” his efforts.
Senator Rick Scott told reporters that Musk had explained the cuts process during their Wednesday Senate meeting, reinforcing that actual decision-making lies with the agencies, mirroring what Musk communicated to House Republicans that same night. “He has a team of people who really understand technology. They're going through and looking for anomalies where they can say, ‘Hey, does this make sense? Should we be spending money?’ And then the agency head makes the decision,” Scott explained.
Some Trump allies view the Thursday meeting as a logical progression in a process that commenced while many Cabinet officials were yet to be confirmed. “Now that Cabinet members are officially confirmed, having DOGE and Cabinet members work together is more great progress towards President Trump’s goal of cutting waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government,” articulated Jessica Anderson, president of the formerly Heritage Action-linked Sentinel Action Fund.
Trump’s attempt to downplay Musk’s involvement came just two days after he praised Musk during a primetime address to Congress as the mastermind behind a new era of bureaucratic reductions. This shift might also serve to mitigate the growing legal challenges regarding DOGE’s operations.
It remains uncertain whether Trump’s remarks have affected Musk's practical role. For weeks, lawyers from the Justice Department have downplayed Musk's impact in court, describing him as merely an “employee" without formal decision-making powers. However, unions and organizations suing to cease DOGE contend that these efforts are an attempt to mislead about the reality of Musk's influence.
Judges have been increasingly probing the administration's ability to define DOGE's leadership, and the numerous lawsuits contesting DOGE are nearing a new phase where officials may be compelled to testify under oath about the operations and authority behind DOGE.
A federal judge in San Francisco has ordered the government's top personnel officer to appear in court next week to explain who issued orders for the mass dismissal of thousands of federal probationary employees. However, the Trump administration has suggested it may contest the judge's ruling.
Norm Eisen, a lawyer representing groups pursuing legal action against DOGE and Musk, believes Trump’s comments carry little significance. "The president is clearly feeling the heat after accidentally speaking the truth to Congress the other night: that Musk and DOGE have been calling the shots. That’s unconstitutional,” Eisen stated. “Closing the barn door after the horse has bolted does no good. In fact, this attempted backtrack is an admission that the vast chaos that Mr. Musk and DOGE have wrought without proper approval and documentation is illegal."
Ramin Sohrabi for TROIB News
This week, while publicly praising Musk's efforts, Trump has also sought to mediate tensions between the tech entrepreneur and his Cabinet, which has become increasingly dissatisfied with Musk's influence over their agencies.
The frustration peaked during a tense Cabinet meeting on Thursday, where Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, and Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins voiced their concerns about Musk, according to a source who requested anonymity to share private details. During this meeting, first reported by PMG, Trump emphasized that responsibility for their departments lies with his Cabinet secretaries, not Musk.
The source revealed that Rubio “jumped his shit” at Musk, while Duffy and Collins articulated specific issues regarding budget cuts affecting their agencies. Rubio was particularly upset that Musk had distanced himself from the mass layoffs during a prior meeting with lawmakers.
Trump appreciated the assertiveness displayed by his secretaries. "Trump was very impressed. These guys who are pretty quiet got in [Musk’s] face and called him a liar in front of the president,” the source mentioned, adding that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also expressed concerns to Trump about Musk prior to the Cabinet meeting, saying, “this is out of control, with these emails he’s sending, these are real people, we’re not doing this.”
As Musk's actions have become a point of contention in Washington, his hard-line cuts to federal programs, significant staffing reductions, and demands for employees to report weekly accomplishments have drawn comparisons to his management style at Twitter, now known as X. While many Republicans on Capitol Hill and the Trump administration support reducing what they consider to be a bloated federal bureaucracy, there are rising worries about Musk's methods. Even Musk has acknowledged that he will make mistakes.
Addressing reporters in the Oval Office on Friday, Trump asserted that Rubio and Musk “get along fantastic” and that there was “no clash” between them. "Marco has done unbelievably as secretary of State," he said. "And Elon is a unique guy and has done a fantastic job."
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that "everyone is working as one team to help President Trump deliver on his promise to make our government more efficient.” She added that the meeting was "great and productive" in discussing cost-cutting measures and staffing across the federal government.
A spokesperson for the Veterans Affairs department mentioned they are “working with DOGE and the rest of the administration” to enhance efficiency while retaining the best federal employees. Similarly, a spokesperson from the Transportation Department highlighted Duffy’s post on X that referred to the meeting as “productive.” Duffy remarked, "The President's approach of a scalpel versus a hatchet and better coordination between Secretaries and DOGE is the right approach to revolutionizing the way our government is run."
Congressional Republicans have faced mounting pressure as the cuts have started to impact their districts, with some constituents demanding explanations at town halls.
Concerns about DOGE had been surfacing among GOP senators since at least February 25, when Senate Majority Leader John Thune indicated that he preferred Cabinet officials, not Musk, to lead their departments: “I think that’s why we worked so hard to get these folks confirmed and they’re now in a position to make those decisions," Thune remarked.
The following day, several senators shared their grievances about DOGE during a private lunch with Trump's chief of staff Susie Wiles. She encouraged senators facing difficulties to reach out to her directly, and many did. According to two people familiar with the discussions, numerous senators were in contact with the White House about their concerns.
“These guys were bitching, ‘Why have we done all this heavy lifting on these confirmations, and this guy's running the thing? It's a black box. Nobody knows what's going on,’” disclosed a source with knowledge of the situation.
Publicly, some members of Congress have adopted a more conciliatory tone toward Musk, recognizing their alignment with his aim to reduce federal bureaucracy, even if they acknowledge he has made mistakes.
Speaker Mike Johnson praised Musk’s “pure motives” on Fox News, stating he is among many lawmakers who have conversed with the billionaire. “In Elon's defense, there is no playbook for what he's doing,” he noted, adding, “there are gonna be some mishaps and mistakes along the way, but we will do course correction immediately.” Johnson characterized the Thursday meeting with Musk and the Cabinet as a “recalibration” that would “formalize” his efforts.
Senator Rick Scott told reporters that Musk had explained the cuts process during their Wednesday Senate meeting, reinforcing that actual decision-making lies with the agencies, mirroring what Musk communicated to House Republicans that same night. “He has a team of people who really understand technology. They're going through and looking for anomalies where they can say, ‘Hey, does this make sense? Should we be spending money?’ And then the agency head makes the decision,” Scott explained.
Some Trump allies view the Thursday meeting as a logical progression in a process that commenced while many Cabinet officials were yet to be confirmed. “Now that Cabinet members are officially confirmed, having DOGE and Cabinet members work together is more great progress towards President Trump’s goal of cutting waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government,” articulated Jessica Anderson, president of the formerly Heritage Action-linked Sentinel Action Fund.
Trump’s attempt to downplay Musk’s involvement came just two days after he praised Musk during a primetime address to Congress as the mastermind behind a new era of bureaucratic reductions. This shift might also serve to mitigate the growing legal challenges regarding DOGE’s operations.
It remains uncertain whether Trump’s remarks have affected Musk's practical role. For weeks, lawyers from the Justice Department have downplayed Musk's impact in court, describing him as merely an “employee" without formal decision-making powers. However, unions and organizations suing to cease DOGE contend that these efforts are an attempt to mislead about the reality of Musk's influence.
Judges have been increasingly probing the administration's ability to define DOGE's leadership, and the numerous lawsuits contesting DOGE are nearing a new phase where officials may be compelled to testify under oath about the operations and authority behind DOGE.
A federal judge in San Francisco has ordered the government's top personnel officer to appear in court next week to explain who issued orders for the mass dismissal of thousands of federal probationary employees. However, the Trump administration has suggested it may contest the judge's ruling.
Norm Eisen, a lawyer representing groups pursuing legal action against DOGE and Musk, believes Trump’s comments carry little significance. "The president is clearly feeling the heat after accidentally speaking the truth to Congress the other night: that Musk and DOGE have been calling the shots. That’s unconstitutional,” Eisen stated. “Closing the barn door after the horse has bolted does no good. In fact, this attempted backtrack is an admission that the vast chaos that Mr. Musk and DOGE have wrought without proper approval and documentation is illegal."
Ramin Sohrabi for TROIB News
