Trump stresses Cabinet secretaries lead agency cuts, but keeps Musk as threat

President Trump on Thursday stressed that his Cabinet secretaries take the lead on making cuts to their agencies and staff, insisting that officials are empowered to make decisions before Elon Musk can step in.

“I want the cabinet members, go first, keep all the people you want. Everybody that you need,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

He added, “I want them to do the best job they can, when we have good people that’s precious, that’s very important and we want them to keep the good people. So, we’re going to be watching them. Elon and the group are going to be watching them. If they can cut, its better. And if they don’t cut, then Elon will do the cutting.”

Trump's remarks followed his second Cabinet meeting of the administration earlier in the day, which again included Musk. After the meeting, Trump said on Truth Social that he instructed his Cabinet secretaries to “work with DOGE” on cost cutting efforts but keep the “best” and “most productive” people in place amid mass firings helmed by Elon Musk since January.

It comes as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which Musk oversees, was met with controversary over its approach for radical reform of federal agencies that has including the firing of thousands of government workers.

Trump also highlighted a more precise approach to eliminating staff in his Truth Social post.

“DOGE has been an incredible success, and now that we have my Cabinet in place, I have instructed the Secretaries and Leadership to work with DOGE on Cost Cutting measures and Staffing," Trump said.

“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. 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,” he continued.

Musk joined the first meeting with officials last month where he spoke at length to the Cabinet about the work DOGE was doing.

Trump also said on Thursday that he would hold Cabinet meetings every two weeks.

Trump's remarks bolster an executive order he signed last week directing agency leaders to work with DOGE staff and look at contracts, employee travel and other areas, as well as build a centralized system to record every payment.

Trump has so-far been supportive of Musk and DOGE, insisting that he backs the moves the team has made like when the billionaire tech entrepreneur asked all federal employees to send emails listing their accomplishments.

That email was a focus of the last Cabinet meeting, during which Musk dominated the conversation and disparaged government workers, saying anyone with a heartbeat and neurons could complete the email he sent out.

Musk, who is not a member of the president’s Senate-approved Cabinet, was tasked with making cuts to the federal government when it comes to spending and staff. He has since become a staple of the White House, traveling with Trump to his joint address.

Musk later went on to meet with lawmakers on Capitol Hill Wednesday evening, a type of meeting that would more typically occur with a White House chief of staff or other presidential advisors.

Musk has also traveled with Trump to his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida during weekends.

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