U.S. President Donald Trump gathered his cabinet on Thursday to discuss Elon Musk’s role and his efforts to reduce government spending and the federal workforce.
According to several local media outlets, the meeting was marked by heated discussions. As reported by The New York Times, Musk accused Secretary of State Marco Rubio of not firing enough people in his department. In a tense exchange, the businessman told Rubio that he “looked good on TV” but refrained from making any positive comments about his work as the head of U.S. diplomacy.
The billionaire also clashed with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy over the attempts by the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), led by Musk, to lay off more air traffic controllers despite an ongoing staff shortage at the Federal Aviation Administration. Duffy’s department has been under scrutiny following two U.S. aircraft crashes in recent months—one in January and another shortly after Trump’s reelection.
After hearing both sides, witnesses say Trump reaffirmed his support for Doge but clarified that, from now on, cabinet secretaries would be responsible for making layoffs, while Musk’s team would only provide guidance on how to execute them.
The hastily arranged meeting highlighted Trump’s intention to curb Musk and Doge’s power in cutting government spending. However, the president only addressed the gathering after details leaked to the press.
On his Truth Social account, Trump stated that he had instructed his secretaries to work with Doge on “the necessary measures to cut costs.” “Since the secretaries know their personnel best, they can precisely determine who stays and who goes,” he wrote. He added, “We must use a scalpel, not an axe.”
His words appeared to be a direct reference to Musk’s approach. Just weeks ago, Musk used a chainsaw at a political event—a visible symbol of his aggressive cost-cutting strategy, which has angered Democrats and raised concerns among some Trump administration officials.
Meanwhile, Musk’s team has sent multiple emails from official government accounts offering federal employees several months’ pay in advance in exchange for their resignation. The emails also required employees to submit weekly achievement reports, warning that failure to do so could result in termination. Some agencies have advised their staff to ignore these requests.
Doge, in turn, ordered the dismissal of employees still in their probationary period, as they lack federal job protections. However, some government agencies have disregarded these orders, especially those with essential personnel, such as officials responsible for nuclear weapons security.
On Friday, during an event in the Oval Office, Trump was asked about the tense cabinet meeting and reports of confrontations. He denied any conflicts and insisted that Musk and Rubio “get along very well.” However, his Truth Social post seemingly granted more authority to cabinet secretaries than to Musk, which could be an attempt to shield his administration from potential lawsuits.
Several federal judges overseeing related cases have already expressed concerns about Musk’s authority. Those concerns were further amplified when Trump, during his speech before Congress on Tuesday, once again asserted that the billionaire was, in fact, the person in charge of Doge.
So far, Musk and Trump have formed a formidable partnership—the world’s richest man and the most powerful politician in the United States. For months, speculation in Washington has swirled about whether this alliance could eventually fracture. However, such predictions have often been followed by renewed displays of camaraderie between the two.
On Friday night, Musk was seen boarding Air Force One with Trump for a weekend trip to the president’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
The chaos in the cabinet room may be the first crack in the foundation, but there is still plenty of evidence that Trump continues to support Musk’s objectives. In the coming days, he may opt for a scalpel rather than a chainsaw, but the cost-cutting agenda remains firmly in place.
