In his first Cabinet meeting after assuming office for the second time, US President Donald Trump asked, “Is anybody unhappy with Elon?” As nervous laughter filled the room, he continued, “If you are, we’ll throw him out of here.” His Cabinet members responded with applause, New York Times reports.
The light-hearted remark came during the first meeting of Trump’s new Cabinet, but the atmosphere in the room suggested a deeper tension. Seated at the long table were senior officials, including secretary of state Marco Rubio and defence secretary Pete Hegseth, while Elon Musk stood behind them, dressed in black, wearing a MAGA hat and a T-shirt reading “Tech Support.”
Recently, Musk bypassed government protocol and issued an order directly to federal workers, demanding that they submit a written explanation of how they spent their time and list five accomplishments via email or risk termination.
Several departments, including state, defence, energy, homeland security, and justice, had pushed back against the directive, instructing their staff not to comply.
As the backlash grew, Musk publicly criticised those who resisted, claiming that some employees had “failed even that inane test, urged on in some cases by their managers.” Musk also said that this incentive was just a quick “pulse check.”
The White House struggled to clarify whether the billionaire entrepreneur held any formal authority.
Trump tried to reassure his team before the meeting, posting on his Truth social media: “ALL CABINET MEMBERS ARE EXTREMELY HAPPY WITH ELON. The Media will see that at the Cabinet Meeting this morning!!!”
Although Musk was not given an official seat at the Cabinet table, he played a dominant role in the meeting. When Trump invited him to speak, he took the floor and remained standing for much of the discussion, speaking more than anyone except the president himself.
He defended his controversial order to federal employees, saying he had cleared it with Trump in advance. “I said, ‘Can we send out an email to everyone just saying what did you get done last week,’ and the president said yes,” Musk explained, pointing the responsibility back at Trump, who nodded along.
Musk, who had been taking criticism from government officials and the media, sought to win over the room. “President Trump has put together the best Cabinet ever, literally,” he declared. “I don’t think that such a talented team has ever been assembled.”
He also emphasised the stakes of his work. “I’m taking a lot of flak,” he said, “and getting a lot of death threats, by the way.” Then, he issued a warning: “If we don’t do this, America will go bankrupt. That’s why it has to be done.”
The statement stood in stark contrast to a report published that same day by The Washington Post, which found that Musk’s business empire has relied on $38 billion in government funding.
As the meeting drew to a close, a reporter asked Trump about executive authority: “Is it your view of your authority that you have the power to call up any one or all of the people seated at this table and issue orders that they’re bound to follow?”
The president’s voice dropped slightly. “Oh, yeah,” he said. “They’ll follow the orders, yes, they will.”
This time, nobody laughed.
