US President Donald Trump told his cabinet members that they must support billionaire advisor Elon Musk’s efforts to cut government spending.
At his first cabinet meeting since taking office for a second term, Trump praised Musk’s efforts to streamline the government, despite reported tensions among cabinet members over the tech mogul’s sweeping cuts.
Musk, who was in attendance at the meeting, wore a “Make America Great Again” baseball cap and a “Tech Support” t-shirt, drawing attention to his role as a key advisor to the president.
Trump insisted that his team was “thrilled” with Musk’s efforts, despite reports of frustration among some cabinet members. He dismissed US media reports that some cabinet members had expressed frustration over emails sent to all federal employees asking them to justify their jobs or be sacked.
“If anybody is unhappy with Elon, we’ll throw them out of here,” Trump said, to laughter and applause from the cabinet members.
The president also announced plans to impose 25% tariffs on many imports from Europe and revealed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would visit the White House on Friday to sign a deal giving Washington access to Kyiv’s rare minerals.
Trump proclaimed progress on negotiations to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, saying that Zelensky’s visit would mark a significant step forward in the peace process.
The meeting highlighted the significant influence Musk wields in the Trump administration, despite not being a formal cabinet member. Musk’s efforts to cut government spending have been met with resistance from some lawmakers and government employees, who fear the cuts will lead to widespread layoffs and disruptions in essential services.
