Billionaire Elon Musk attended President Trump’s cabinet meeting, addressing the controversy surrounding government cuts as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk, facing death threats for his work, described his role as “humble tech support,” aimed at modernizing outdated government systems and reducing the deficit. He emphasized the necessity of cutting $4 trillion yearly, despite acknowledging potential mistakes by DOGE, such as briefly discontinuing Ebola prevention services. Amidst staff protests and resignations, Musk’s actions sparked backlash and lawsuits, with the largest federal union promising to challenge perceived unlawful terminations.
Billionaire Elon Musk participated in US President Donald Trump’s inaugural cabinet meeting of his second term on Wednesday, amid considerable backlash regarding significant government cuts. Musk, who oversees the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) aimed at reducing expenditures by streamlining the federal government, shared that he has been receiving “numerous death threats” for his efforts.
His comments arose when Trump invited him to elaborate on the workings of the DOGE and the extent of their budget reductions.
“It’s an honor to have you. He’s been an exceptionally successful individual. He works incredibly hard and manages various businesses. People often wonder, ‘How does he do it?’ He sacrifices a great deal and – while he receives ample praise, I must tell you, he also faces criticism. And we expect that; it’s just part of the process,” Trump remarked.
Musk, donning his signature black “Make America Great Again” baseball cap, then stood up and referred to himself as “humble tech support”.
“Believe it or not, this is almost a literal description of what the DOGE team is doing — assisting in fixing outdated government computer systems. Many of these systems are very old, fail to communicate with each other, and contain numerous errors. The software is ineffective. So, in essence, we are really tech support. It’s ironic but true,” he said.
🚨BREAKING: Elon Musk Delivers Remarks at the First Official Trump Cabinet Meeting 🔥
“I view myself as humble tech support. Balancing this budget is not just optional; it is absolutely essential. I’ve been facing a lot of death threats—enough that I could pile them up. I truly believe we can find a… pic.twitter.com/JbVRe3FZSF
— Autism Capital 🧩 (@AutismCapital) February 26, 2025
The “main objective” of the DOGE team is to tackle the vast deficit, the world’s wealthiest individual disclosed to cabinet members at the White House.
“If we fail to act, America will face bankruptcy,” he cautioned, noting he was “enduring considerable criticism and numerous death threats, by the way.”
“As a nation, we simply cannot maintain deficits of $2 trillion,” added the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX.
“DOGE Will Make Mistakes”
Musk admitted that the DOGE “will make mistakes” and “won’t be flawless”. “However, when we do err, we’ll rectify it swiftly.”
“For instance, with USAID, one matter we inadvertently canceled, albeit briefly, was Ebola prevention. I think we can all agree that we wanted to maintain Ebola prevention. So, we promptly restored it, and there was no disruption,” he explained.
“However, we need to act quickly if we aim to achieve a trillion-dollar deficit reduction in the fiscal year 2026. This necessitates saving $4 billion every day from now until the end of September. But we can accomplish this, and we will,” Musk asserted.
Photo Credit: AFP
Musk’s statements came in the wake of media reports indicating that some cabinet members were frustrated over DOGE emails sent to all federal employees requiring them to justify their positions or face termination.
“Is anyone unhappy with Elon? If they are, we’ll show them the door,” Trump joked to laughter and applause from his cabinet members.
“They hold a great deal of respect for Elon. While some have minor disagreements, I can tell you that, overall, I believe everyone is not just satisfied; they are thrilled,” the 78-year-old Republican commented.
Protests, Resignations Follow Musk Cuts
Some federal employees have protested Musk’s decisions by resigning. Recently, about a third of DOGE’s technology staff walked out, expressing their unwillingness to work under conditions they perceive to jeopardize the country.
Prior to the departure of approximately 20 staff members from DOGE, federal employees launched a website titled “We Are the Builders” to share the effects of DOGE’s initiatives.
Numerous lawsuits have also been filed against Musk’s threats or demands.
The largest federal employee union, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), has vowed to contest “unlawful” terminations, labeling Musk as “unhinged”.
To date, around 100,000 of the nation’s 2.3 million civilian federal workers have been either dismissed or offered buyouts.
(With agency inputs)