President Donald Trump made it absolutely clear to his Cabinet that billionaire adviser Elon Musk is not the one in charge of their respective departments and doesn't have the ability to fire federal workers, Politico reported Thursday, citing officials.
The Republican chairman allegedly emphasized that the Tesla CEO is "only authorized to make recommendations to the departments but not to make unilateral decisions on staffing and policy." Politico also mentioned that Musk was in the room during this meeting.
Musk embraced Trump's command, as noted by the report. Politico went on to note that the 53-year-old accepted that some mistakes were done by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk in an earlier Cabinet meeting had confirmed having accidentally canceled funds for the prevention of Ebola.
Musk's recently launched DOGE has centered on reductions in federal costs, including job cuts within the agencies. Even though Musk is not empowered by the law to individually lay off federal employees, the restructuring efforts from his department have seen mass dismissal and resignations. More than 20,000 federal staff members have been let go according to reports, while another 75,000 took buyouts. The cutbacks in the jobs have impacted most probationary staff members since they do not have robust civil service protections like others, facilitating their dismissal. Airlines, NASA, and the US Agency for International Development are some of the agencies that have been affected by these cuts.
"The president's message is the first meaningful step toward constraining Musk's authority," Politico reported. The report continued that in Trump's updated directive, DOGE will operate in an advisory role, with ultimate decisions on people, policies, and implementation timelines left to Cabinet secretaries.
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