Trump holds first cabinet meeting with Elon Musk in attendance
Mr Trump convened the meeting along with the billionaire, who is not a cabinet member.
US President Donald Trump was scheduled to hold the first meeting with his cabinet secretaries, with Elon Musk in attendance – highlighting his influence over the administration.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said members of Mr Trump’s cabinet would provide updates on their work at the meeting, which was scheduled to take place at 11am ET.
“Elon is working with the cabinet secretaries and their staff every single day to identify waste and fraud and abuse at these respective agencies,” Ms Leavitt told reporters.
Mr Trump convened the meeting along with billionaire Mr Musk, who is not a cabinet member.
Many of Mr Trump’s top picks have been confirmed by the senate.
Mr Musk, a senior adviser who is leading an effort shrink the government, did not require confirmation.
“We’re gonna solve a lot of problems,” Mr Trump said at the top of the meeting.
Mr Trump invited Mr Musk to speak first at the meeting, saying his cost-cutting work “seems to be of great interest to everyone”.
He said there were many Americans who have “such admiration” for the mass firings and government cuts Mr Musk is leading.
Mr Musk, as he has in the past, described himself as simple “tech support” for the government, saying “it’s ironic, but it’s true”.
Mr Musk started to answer the question, but Mr Trump interjected and said he might want to let cabinet members answer, before joking that if anyone disagreed, he might “throw them out”.
It comes a day after House Republicans sent a budget blueprint to passage, a step toward delivering Mr Trump’s “big, beautiful bill”.
The bill includes 4.5 trillion dollars in tax breaks and two trillion dollars in spending cuts, despite a wall of opposition from Democrats and discomfort among Republicans.
