President Donald Trump has made it clear to his Cabinet members that anyone who does not respect Elon Musk will be “thrown out.” During his first Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, February 26, Trump praised Musk for his leadership of DOGE, an agency that, according to him, has saved American taxpayers $65 billion by cutting jobs and eliminating unnecessary programs.
Trump described Musk as “tremendously successful” and acknowledged the sacrifices he has made in taking on the role. When a journalist asked about reports suggesting that some Cabinet members were uncomfortable with Musk’s influence and the operations of DOGE, Trump quickly dismissed the claim.
“Let the Cabinet speak for a second,” Trump said. “Anybody unhappy with Elon? If you are, we’ll throw them out of here. Anybody unhappy?”
His question was met with silence, as key Cabinet officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Attorney General Pam Bondi shook their heads in disagreement. Trump further stated that his team holds Musk in high regard, acknowledging that while there may be minor disagreements, overall, they were “thrilled” with his leadership.
Musk, in response, praised Trump’s administration, calling it “the best Cabinet ever, literally.”
“I do not give false praise. This is an incredible group of people. I don’t think such a talented team has ever been assembled. It is literally the best Cabinet the country has ever had, and I think the country should appreciate the people in this room,” Musk stated.
Trump’s remarks came in response to a CNN report claiming that Musk’s management style had begun to frustrate Cabinet members and members of Congress. Unnamed sources cited concerns over Musk’s direct involvement in federal operations, particularly his controversial directive requiring all government employees to email weekly reports detailing their activities.
The directive reportedly caught many agencies off guard, as neither Congress nor Cabinet officials had prior notice. Some sources alleged that federal employees were threatened with termination if they failed to comply.
A senior White House official, speaking anonymously, confirmed to CNN that the sudden nature of Musk’s order had caused “some headaches” within government agencies. However, during a press briefing on Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt denied that anyone had been blindsided.
“Did anonymous sources say that, or did the Cabinet secretaries say that?” she challenged CNN’s Jeff Zeleny when questioned about the controversy.
Zeleny responded that Cabinet secretaries and other officials had expressed surprise over the directive and inquired whether there would be any discussion on the chain of command within the federal government.
“Is Elon Musk or the president open to any type of dialogue about who is actually in charge of these workers?” Zeleny asked.
Leavitt firmly rejected the premise, arguing that the issue had been exaggerated by bureaucrats leaking information to the media.
“Everybody is working as one team, and the president respects the decisions of his Cabinet secretaries to tell their staff not to respond to that email,” she stated. “They did so out of the interest of national security and to prevent any risk to confidential information. It’s common sense.”
Despite the growing concerns about Musk’s influence within the administration, Trump appears to be standing firmly behind him, signaling that his role will remain significant in the current government.
