By Staff, Agencies

In a tense White House cabinet meeting on Thursday, billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk confronted senior officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, over what he described as inadequate government downsizing efforts.

The meeting, attended by President Donald Trump and around 20 other officials, highlighted growing divisions within the administration over Musk’s aggressive cost-cutting measures, according to The New York Times.

The discussion, hastily scheduled the night before, turned heated when Musk accused Rubio of failing to significantly reduce staff in his department. “You have fired nobody,” Musk reportedly told Rubio, sarcastically adding that the only person dismissed so far had been from Musk’s own Department of Government Efficiency [DOGE], an initiative aimed at eliminating bureaucratic waste.

Rubio, already frustrated with Musk’s growing influence, pushed back, expressing anger over the billionaire’s role in effectively shutting down the US Agency for International Development [USAID], which falls under his jurisdiction.

As the argument escalated, President Trump stepped in, defending Rubio’s workload and leadership. “Rubio has a lot to deal with,” Trump noted, citing his frequent travel and media responsibilities. He urged Musk and Rubio to find common ground.

Musk also clashed with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy over proposed job cuts at the Federal Aviation Administration [FAA].

Duffy resisted Musk’s push to lay off air traffic controllers, arguing that recent plane crashes made such cuts irresponsible.

“What am I supposed to do?” Duffy asked. “I have multiple plane crashes to deal with now, and your people want me to fire air traffic controllers?”

Musk dismissed Duffy’s concerns as “lies,” demanding the names of those allegedly targeted for termination. Duffy countered that he had personally intervened to prevent the layoffs.

Trump weighed in, saying that air traffic controllers should be “geniuses” from institutions like MIT and that efforts should focus on retaining top talent rather than cutting staff indiscriminately.

Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins also raised concerns, warning that Musk’s proposed cuts could harm the VA, a politically sensitive agency that serves millions of veterans—many of whom are core Trump supporters. Collins urged a more strategic approach rather than sweeping job eliminations.

Trump agreed, emphasizing that while inefficiency must be addressed, the government should retain its best employees rather than making blanket reductions.

The meeting signaled a potential shift in Trump’s second-term approach, as the president appeared to place limits on Musk’s authority. While Trump remains committed to cutting government waste, reports suggest that officials are growing uneasy with Musk’s aggressive tactics.

Musk, a major financial backer of Trump’s re-election campaign and owner of social media platform X, has been a driving force behind the administration’s cost-cutting initiatives. However, critics argue that his approach is more of a “chainsaw” than a “scalpel,” leading to mounting resistance within the government.

Some Republican lawmakers have privately raised concerns with Trump, warning about Musk’s unchecked influence and his ability to publicly target officials through his platform.

During the meeting, Trump acknowledged these concerns. While reaffirming his commitment to reducing inefficiencies, he announced a structural shift: going forward, cabinet secretaries would take the lead on cost-cutting initiatives, with Musk’s team serving in an advisory capacity.

Following the meeting, officials issued statements attempting to downplay tensions. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described it as a “great and productive meeting” focused on improving government efficiency. The State Department and VA echoed similar messages, affirming their commitment to reforms while ensuring essential services remain intact.

Musk later posted on X that the meeting had been “very productive.” Despite the pushback from multiple cabinet members, he remained defiant, citing his track record in building billion-dollar companies as proof of his ability to make government operations more efficient.