President Trump has shown a softer approach to massive firing of federal workers led by Elon Musk, and a rift appears between the tech billionaire and the ministers running the institution he is gutsy.
Mask's quick and broad cost-cutting efforts have been filled with pushbacks from some in Washington who have complained behind the scenes about government's Department of Efficiency (DOGE) norms.
Trump's tone shift came when his cabinet secretary emphasized that he led staffing choices and claimed that it would be done in “Mesulpel” instead of “hatchets.”
It came after a debated meeting attended by Trump, ministers and Musk in the White House on Thursday, and followed New York Times Explosive Report Regarding the clash between Musk and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Trump blew questions about the friction between Musk and Rubio when reporters asked him to enter through the oval office after the Times report was released.
But his response earlier this week emphasizes that his Cabinet Secretary will lead what he considers appropriate cuts to federal agencies, showing potential pushbacks from his secretaries regarding how masks have been treating things.
Still, the president left the door open to get the reins back and told his cabinet that if they don't make the right cut, Tesla CEO would do so.
“On one level, Musk was a bit ruthless in the presentation. And when you talk about veterans across the country, veterinarians with disabilities, those kinds of people, those kinds of people lose their jobs and at some point things start to settle,” a source close to Trump World said.
“Instead of the sledgehammer, they had to run it on Mesalpel with a little more precision. Now, Trump might not care, right? Because I think they can win a big victory just by doing that. That comes down to the foundation of character and personal stories,” the source said.
A former Trump official suggested that the change in the president's tone was a perception of political and legal scrutiny of the doge, which has increased in recent weeks. Officials noted that Thursday's cabinet meeting took place behind closed doors and could be more open than the on-camera rally controlled by masks last week.
With a clear indication of tension, Musk called Rubio at his second meeting for not firing enough people from his department New York Times It has been reported.
Rubio has reportedly been furious with Musk for weeks since his team closed the US Agency for International Development (USAID), and during Spat, Musk suggested that Rubio is only good for television before Trump praised the secretary of state's work and suggested that everyone should work together.
When asked about the reported conflict, he said, “We didn't collide, I was there.”
“Elon has become friends with Marco and they both do a great job,” he said. And Elon is a unique man and did a great job. ”
Veterans Secretary Doug Collins also reportedly said at the meeting that Trump should agree with him and be more strategic. Collins highlighted the importance of supporting veterans in operations across the hills, saying his agency is “conducting a department-wide review of organization, operations and structures,” in response to a Doge workforce initiative from Trump.
The mask was wearing a suit during the meeting. This is a subtle but notable change from the “Technical Support” T-shirt and Black Magazine Hat worn at previous cabinet meetings.
Press Secretary Caroline Levitt called it a “great and productive meeting,” but did not directly address reported differences.
“Everyone is working as one team to help President Trump support his promise to make our government more efficient,” Leavitt said in a statement.
Transport Secretary Sean Duffy directly expressed his support for masks and Trump's “approach” to his work with him on Friday.
“The President's Mez approach vs hatch and better coordination between secretary and Doge is the right approach to revolutionizing the way government operates. @USDOT We will continue to work closely together @elonmusk」Duffy I said in x.
Aside from the heat emitted by the Cabinet, the administration's work to reduce waste from the government faces its biggest obstacle through courts.
A coalition of unions representing federal employees was sued last month for efforts to make a massive government-wide layoff. This week a federal judge ordered the administration to make payments public to contractors and nonprofits related to USAID.
In Capitol Hill, a Republican senator told Musk this week that his aggressive move to reduce the federal government would require a vote by Congress.
Republican senators have certain issues with the planned layoffs of thousands of federal employees, particularly those that have affected veterans.
“There's a real separation between them. USAID funds a transgender puppet show in Kuwait, which supports kids who either offer life-saving drugs or literally get a peanut butter pouch. I think sources close to Trump's world think even the most ironic Americans have a role to play.”
Trump's comments also bring his public rhetoric to the White House's claim in the court's declaration that Musk is not a Doge administrator and has no authority to make policy decisions himself.
And they build on an executive order signed by Trump last week, instructing agency leaders to work with Doge staff, to look into contracts, employee travel and other areas and create a centralized system to record all payments.
Despite changing guidance on the handling of musk, Democrats, trade unions and activists are expected to maintain their upheaval over the billionaire jobs for Trump, including hosting the Democratic lawyer general, a plaintiff in several lawsuits against the administration.
This week, Senate Democrats asked the Justice Department to investigate whether Musk is leveraging the government's position that pressures him to spend more on advertisers on his social media platform.
Critics say that having a cabinet secretary in charge of Musk doesn't mean that legal issues will stop.
“Unfortunately, closing the barn door after the horse is bolted is useless,” said Noam Eisen, executive chair of the State Democracy Advocates Fund, who represents the plaintiffs in complaints that Musk's actions are not a senator and are violating the constitution.
“In fact, this backtracking attempt is acknowledgement that the vast Chaos that Musk and Kuji created without proper approval are illegal and must be completely unlocked.”
