Trump moderates Musk’s role in government restructuring after heated cabinet meeting

US President Donald Trump (Courtesy: Reuters photo)

In a rowdy White House cabinet meeting on Thursday, Elon Musk battled with senior officials, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, over his swift and muscular approach to government reorganisation. The meeting, which saw US President Donald Trump and about 20 other participants present, was a turning point for the administration's cost-cutting effort, as Trump indicated a change towards a more cautious approach, as reported by The New York Times.

The exchange between Musk and Rubio played out in front of the president, as Musk charged that Rubio had not cut his staff at the State Department. Rubio, clearly annoyed, shot back, pointing out the 1,500 early retirements that his department had already approved. The exchange became heated, with Musk brushing off Rubio's claims and sarcastically implying he had only let one staffer go from the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which Musk's crew manages.

Trump, observing the exchange like a tennis spectator, finally intervened to come to the defense of Rubio, admitting the complexity of his position. "He's doing a great job," Trump told reporters, explaining that while budget-cutting was still a top priority, it had to be managed strategically.

Battles over air traffic control and veterans affairs cuts

Musk's confrontational style incited more criticism when he floated the idea of layoffs at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which was met with a stern rebuke from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. "I have several plane crashes to attend to now, and your folks want me to lay off air traffic controllers?" Duffy said.

Musk rebutted the charge, calling for names of those allegedly being let go. Duffy shot back that there had been no dismissals because he had personally stepped in. The strained back-and-forth concluded with Trump suggesting Duffy should hire air traffic controllers from M.I.T., insisting on using "geniuses" in the position.

Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins also expressed concerns, cautioning that Musk's blanket reductions would have a detrimental effect on veterans—one of Trump's strongest voter constituencies. Trump concurred, saying the administration should keep high-performing workers while cutting out inefficiencies.

Trump signals course correction

The hastily called meeting the previous evening highlighted mounting frustrations among cabinet members at Musk's unbridled power. Though most applaud his efforts to cut government spending, they have become increasingly concerned with his disorganised execution.

In a post-meeting tweet, Trump signalled a change in strategy, indicating that the future round of staff cuts would be done with a "scalpel," not a "hatchet." It was read by many as an attempt to put some check on Musk's unrestrained power.

From here on, Trump announced, cabinet secretaries would take the lead, and Musk's people would be in an advisory role only. The move, as much as it seemed to clip Musk's wings, does not completely do away with his influence. As Trump's biggest political contributor and the proprietor of influential social media outlet X, Musk is still a force to reckon with in the administration.

Internal divisions deepen

Even as public relations sought to downgrade tensions, the meeting revealed a stark split in the administration. Cabinet members privately critical of Musk's approach more or less remained mute at the meeting, evidently discouraged by his confrontational rebuffs of Rubio and Duffy.

After the session, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt referred to the meeting as "a great and productive meeting" dedicated to increasing government efficiency. Meanwhile, Musk, who wore a suit and tie rather than his regular T-shirt after Trump made a criticism of his look, posted on X that the meeting was "very productive."

Though Musk's position has been officially downgraded, there are doubts about how long the new setup will endure. With his financial support and media backing, Musk's influence in the administration will not likely to fade away completely, even as Trump tries to tighten his grip on the reorganisation process.