Trump says Cabinet officials will handle firings, not Musk

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Karah Rucker Anchor

By Karah Rucker (Anchor), Jodie Hawkins (Senior Producer)

President Donald Trump limited Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency’s ability to fire federal employees. Trump announced biweekly sessions with Cabinet members to give them more control over cuts.
“It’s important to keep the best and most productive people,” Trump said.
Agencies like the Social Security Administration are facing long-term impacts.

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Since President Donald Trump returned to the White House, the media has reported on government job cuts from Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency team. Now, Trump made it clear he wants his Cabinet officials to handle federal firings while working with Musk and his team.

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Trump made the announcement in a meeting with Musk and his department heads Thursday, March 6. He said it was time for “the scalpel rather than the hatchet,” when it comes to making job cuts.

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Politico reported Trump said Musk is empowered to make recommendations to the departments but not issue decisions on his own regarding staffing and policy.

Instead, there will now be biweekly sessions for Cabinet members to discuss more precise cuts in their departments with Musk.

What did Trump say about the change?

Trump posted to Truth Social that his Cabinet agreed on the need to reduce the size of the government.

“It’s very important that we cut levels down to where they should be, but it’s also important to keep the best and most productive people,” Trump said in the post.

Trump also talked about the meeting with reporters in the Oval Office.

“It was about cutting because everybody knows the country’s way out of control in terms of the number of people,” Trump said. “I want the Cabinet members to keep good people. I don’t want to see a big cut where a lot of good people are cut.”

How have Musk’s decisions impacted federal agencies?

Trump’s statements follow weeks of coverage of Musk’s planned overhaul of the federal workforce, which has been widely criticized by Democrats.

His orders have already altered the future of several agencies, including the Social Security Administration, which is now closing dozens of offices nationwide.

According to multiple reports, Musk joined the conversation at Thursday’s Cabinet meeting, agreeing with Trump’s directive. He also acknowledged that DOGE will make mistakes “but correct them very quickly.”

What’s next?

DOGE continues to face legal scrutiny with several lawsuits as judges express frustration that the Trump administration has sent mixed signals over who is really in charge of the government overhaul effort.

Tags: Donald Trump, Elon Musk, federal employees, Social Security, White House

[Karah]

PRESIDENT TRUMP IS RESHAPING ELON MUSK’S ROLE WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY, BY PUTTING THE CABINET IN CHARGE OF FEDERAL FIRINGS FOLLOWING COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE WORLD’S RICHEST MAN’S APPROACH TO COST-CUTTING.

TRUMP MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT IN A MEETING WITH MUSK AND HIS DEPARTMENT HEADS THURSDAY … SAYING IT WAS TIME FOR QUOTE “THE SCALPEL RATHER THAN THE HATCHET” … WHEN IT COMES TO MAKING JOB CUTS.

POLITICO REPORTS TRUMP SAID MUSK IS EMPOWERED TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE DEPARTMENTS BUT NOT ISSUE DECISIONS ON HIS OWN REGARDING STAFFING AND POLICY.

INSTEAD, THERE WILL NOW BE BIWEEKLY SESSIONS FOR CABINET MEMBERS TO DISCUSS THE CUTS IN THEIR DEPARTMENTS WITH MUSK AS HE WORKS TO MAKE THE DECISIONS PRECISE.

TRUMP POSTED TO TRUTH SOCIAL HIS GROUP WAS IN AGREEMENT ON THE NECESSITY OF REDUCING THE SIZE OF THE GOVERNMENT SAYING …

“IT’S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE CUT LEVELS DOWN TO WHERE THEY SHOULD BE, BUT IT’S ALSO IMPORTANT TO KEEP THE BEST AND MOST PRODUCTIVE PEOPLE.”

TRUMP ALSO TALKED ABOUT THE MEETING WITH REPORTERS IN THE OVAL OFFICE …

“I thought it was a really good meeting. It was about cutting because everybody knows the country’s way out of control in terms of the number of people.”

I want the cabinet members to keep good people. I don’t want to see a big cut where a lot of good people are cut.

TRUMP’S STATEMENTS ARE SEEN AS A WAY OF “REINING IN” MUSK’S OVERHAUL OF THE FEDERAL WORKFORCE, WHICH HAS BEEN WIDLEY CRITICIZED BY DEMOCRATS WHILE REPUBLICANS HAVE BEEN FACING BACKLASH FROM THEIR CONSTITUENTS AS MUSK’S CUTS ARE BEING FELT BY VOTERS.

HIS ORDERS HAVE ALREADY ALTERED THE FUTURE OF SEVERAL AGENCIES INCLUDING THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION, NOW CLOSING DOZENS OF OFFICES NATIONWIDE.

ACCORDING TO POLITICO – MUSK JOINED THE CONVERSATION AT THURSDAY’S CABINET MEETING AGREEING WITH TRUMP’S DIRECTIVE … ALSO ACKNOWLEDGING THAT DOGE HAS MADE SOME “MISSTEPS.”

IT’S NOT CLEAR WHETHER THE NEW GUIDANCE WILL RESULT IN LAID OFF WORKERS GETTING REHIRED.

MEANWHILE, DOGE CONTINUES TO FACE LEGAL SCRUTINY WITH SEVERAL LAWSUITS AS JUDGES EXPRESS FRUSTRATION AT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S INABILITY TO EXPLAIN WHO IS REALLY IN CHARGE OF THE GOVERNMENT OVERHAUL EFFORT.

TRUMP CALLING MUSK THE “HEAD” OF DOGE CONTRADICTS THE WHITE HOUSE’S CLAIM LAST MONTH, THAT MUSK HAD NO INDEPENDENT AUTHORITY TO MAKE POLICY DECISIONS.

THE LAWSUITS ALLEGE MUSK HAS BEEN EXERCISING UNCONSTITUTIONAL POWER FOR A GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL WHO HAS NOT BEEN CONFIRMED BY THE SENATE.

FOR SAN, I’M KARAH RUCKER.

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