Elon Musk, an adviser to President Donald Trump and head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), made a notable appearance at Trump’s first Cabinet meeting, referring to himself as “tech support.” He wore a T-shirt that read ‘tech support’ and a cap with the Republican slogan ‘Make America Great Again.’
As he took the floor, Musk reiterated his role as “tech support” and spoke about DOGE’s efforts to “fix the government computer systems.” He also revealed that he had received “a lot of death threats” over his work, which has resulted in job losses for hundreds of government employees, as reported by CNN.
While Musk is not a Cabinet member and does not hold an elected office, he praised Trump’s administration, stating, “President Trump has put together the best Cabinet ever. And I do not give false praise. This is an incredible group of people. I don’t think such a talented team has ever been assembled.”
Federal Employees Ordered to Justify Their Jobs
Over the weekend, Musk sent an email requiring federal employees to explain their work or risk termination. The directive led to one million responses following conflicting messages from Musk, Trump, and various agencies, CNN reported.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed the email in her Wednesday briefing, explaining: “It’s a very simple idea when you think about it: All this administration is asking is for federal workers, who live off the American taxpayers’ dime, to send five bullet points of what they have done in the previous week. That’s all we are asking for.”
The US Office of Personnel Management highlighted Leavitt’s remarks, noting that she completed her own response in just two minutes: “Giving five bullets on what you did last week is so easy that even the busy White House Press Secretary found time to do it!”
Musk Defends Government Overhaul
During the Cabinet meeting, Musk clarified that the email was not a “performance review” but a “pulse check review.”
“We think there are a number of people on the government payroll who are dead. Which is probably why they can’t respond. And some people who are not real people, like they’re literally fictional individuals that are collecting paychecks,” Musk said. “So we’re literally trying to figure out, are these people real, are they alive and can they write an email?”
Musk acknowledged that his restructuring efforts resulted in layoffs, including the accidental cancellation of USAID’s Ebola prevention programs, which he confirmed were promptly reinstated.
While defending the controversial email, Musk maintained that the overhaul was only possible “with the support of everyone in this room.”
Trump’s Stance on Federal Worker Terminations
Trump interjected, emphasizing that employees who failed to respond to Musk’s email were “on the bubble” and at risk of being fired.
He acknowledged that some Cabinet members had reservations about Musk’s approach. “Anybody unhappy with Elon? If you are, then we’ll throw them out of here,” Trump joked, eliciting applause from members seated around the table.
“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,” Trump continued.
Cabinet Members and GOP Response
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright described the Cabinet meeting as a “wide-ranging discussion” and dismissed the notion that Musk was directing Cabinet secretaries on how to run their agencies. “Elon Musk and President Trump are working together with all of us in the Cabinet to figure out how to run America’s government more like America’s business: efficient, better services, better delivery, more efficiently done,” Wright told CNN.
Meanwhile, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles addressed growing concerns among GOP senators regarding Musk’s role in the administration. According to Senator Josh Hawley, Wiles clarified that “Musk is working directly with the president, and the president then works with the Cabinet secretaries.”