United States: President Donald Trump held his first Cabinet meeting of his second term on Wednesday, but the spotlight wasn’t just on him—it was on Elon Musk.
For over an hour, Trump highlighted his administration’s accomplishments and addressed questions on key issues. Among them were Musk’s push to reduce the size of the federal workforce and ongoing efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
Even though Musk doesn’t officially hold a Cabinet position, he plays a major role in the administration. He leads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is focused on cutting down government spending and reducing federal influence.
“We have an incredible team,” Trump said as the meeting began. “And we’ve already made great progress,” he added, according to reports from 6abc.com.
Musk’s Influence in the Meeting
After Trump’s opening remarks, Musk was the first to speak. Wearing a “Tech Support” t-shirt and a black “Make America Great Again” cap, he stood at the edge of the room to present DOGE’s work.
Trump urged Ukraine to forget about NATO
— Beate Landefeld (@BeateLandefeld) February 27, 2025
He said at the first meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers:
"I can say that NATO can be forgotten. I think that this is probably the reason why it all started."
The president also assured the US would receive all the money spent on pic.twitter.com/XBSBFWAPfF
Defending his aggressive cost-cutting policies, Musk warned that without serious spending cuts, the country could be heading toward financial collapse.
“That’s exactly why I’m here,” Musk said. “And I’m facing a lot of criticism—even receiving death threats.”
His appearance came just after he announced a controversial new rule requiring federal employees to submit weekly reports on their work—or risk being fired. According to ABC News, many top White House officials were caught off guard by this announcement, leading to tension within the administration. Some agency leaders even told their employees to hold off on responding.
When a reporter asked if any Cabinet members disagreed with Musk’s approach, Trump jumped in.
“Is anyone unhappy with Elon?” he asked, sparking laughter. “If you are, we’ll kick him out. Anyone? There’s a lot of respect for Elon and what he’s doing,” he concluded, as the room applauded, according to 6abc.com.
Federal Employees at Risk of Losing Their Jobs
Trump also addressed the status of federal employees who had not complied with Musk’s directive.
“I want to be clear—those million employees who haven’t responded are on thin ice,” he said. He even suggested, without evidence, that some of those workers might not exist.
When ABC News correspondent Mary Bruce asked about follow-up emails and the criteria for job cuts, Trump supported the idea, saying he wanted to verify that all employees on the payroll were real.
Limited US Support for Ukraine
Trump made it clear that the US would not be offering strong security guarantees to Ukraine, a key issue for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in peace negotiations.
BREAKING: In a jaw-dropping admission, Elon Musk reveals during Trump's cabinet meeting "one of the things we accidentally canceled very briefly was Ebola prevention." Americans should be very worried about DOGE's insane mistakes.pic.twitter.com/0mYeXnNOaa
— Really American 🇺🇸 (@ReallyAmerican1) February 26, 2025
“I’m not making major promises on security,” Trump stated. “Europe should take care of that—they’re the neighbors. But we’ll make sure things go smoothly.”
Instead, he suggested that an economic agreement between the US and Ukraine, particularly in the mining sector, could provide indirect security. He implied that American investment in Ukraine’s resources would discourage Russia from escalating the conflict.
“No one wants to start trouble when we’re involved,” he added.
Putin Might Have to Make Concessions
For weeks, Trump had suggested that Ukraine might need to compromise, possibly giving up some territory to end the war. However, for the first time, he hinted that Russian President Vladimir Putin would also have to make concessions.
“Yeah, he will. He’s going to have to,” Trump said, though he did not provide specifics.
When pressed for details, he shifted the conversation to Ukraine’s NATO ambitions, suggesting that Ukraine might need to abandon its goal of joining the alliance.
No Cuts to Social Security and Medicare
Mary Bruce also questioned Trump about the recently passed budget bill, which includes at least $2 trillion in spending cuts. She asked if this would affect Medicare, Medicaid, or Social Security.
“I’ve made it very clear—we are not touching those programs,” Trump said, referencing the famous “no new taxes” pledge by former President George H.W. Bush.
He insisted that savings would come from eliminating fraud within these programs. He also repeated claims made by Musk that some Social Security benefits were being collected by deceased individuals.
However, ABC News spoke with experts who refuted these claims, explaining that occasional errors in government databases might list individuals as older than they actually are.
Tariffs Coming for the European Union
Trump reiterated his plan to impose tariffs on imports, especially from the European Union, arguing that the EU was unfairly benefiting at America’s expense.
“We’ve made a decision, and we’ll announce it soon. Generally, it’ll be a 25 percent tariff on cars and various other goods,” he stated.
Tariffs on Mexico and Canada were also set to begin on April 2 but had been temporarily delayed.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick noted that the delay could be extended if Mexico and Canada took stronger action on border security and fentanyl trafficking.
“If they can show the president they’ve done a great job, we might reconsider,” Lutnick suggested.
However, Trump remained skeptical. “It’s going to be tough to impress me,” he said.
Conclusion
The meeting highlighted Musk’s growing influence within the administration, as well as Trump’s firm stance on government efficiency, economic nationalism, and foreign policy. With bold plans on federal workforce reductions, trade tariffs, and US involvement in global conflicts, the administration is setting the stage for major policy shifts.
