President Donald Trump convened his Cabinet on Thursday, March 6, to clarify that federal departments answer to their secretaries—not Elon Musk.
According to Politico, citing two administration officials, Trump emphasized that while Musk, who heads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), can offer recommendations, he cannot make unilateral decisions on staffing and policy. Musk, who was present, reportedly agreed.
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The meeting followed widespread firings across federal agencies.
Musk has faced mounting criticism from both Democrats and Republicans over his role in the mass firings of federal employees. His involvement in government affairs has sparked protests and lawsuits, with some alleging his influence over policy decisions is unconstitutional.
Trump’s new directive aims to limit Musk’s role to an advisory capacity, leaving final decisions to Cabinet members, as per the report.
Musk participated in the discussion and expressed support for Trump’s directive. According to a source familiar with the meeting, he admitted that DOGE had made some missteps.
However, Trump signaled that Musk remains central to his administration’s efficiency drive. After the meeting, he posted on Truth Social: “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.”
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While Trump assured agency heads they could “keep all the people you want”, he also encouraged cuts, adding, “If they don’t cut, then Elon will do the cutting.”
Musk later called the meeting “very productive.”
The meeting was partly prompted by Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s recent remarks urging Cabinet secretaries to retain full control over hiring and firing.
Meanwhile, legal challenges questioning DOGE’s authority—and Musk’s role—continue to mount, with federal judges expressing concern over the administration’s handling of mass terminations, Politico reports.
Musk, Trump’s largest campaign contributor, attended the US president’s first full Cabinet meeting in late February, sitting alongside department secretaries and top military officials.
Dressed in a black “Make America Great Again” cap and a T-shirt reading “Tech Support”, Musk stood out among the suit-clad officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
Despite the controversy, Musk took an active role in the Cabinet meeting. According to a CNN scorecard, “Trump spoke for the vast majority of his meeting. But Musk spoke three times as long as anyone else.”
Trump addressed concerns over Musk’s role directly, asking his Cabinet, “Is anybody unhappy with Elon?” No one responded.
Summing up the sentiment in the room, Trump stated, “They have a lot of respect for Elon and that he’s doing this… And some disagree a little bit. But I will tell you for the most part, I think everyone’s not only happy, they’re thrilled.”
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