Trump Tightens Leash on Elon Musk and DOGE: It’s Time for ‘Scalpel Rather Than Hatchet’

AP Photo/Alex Brandon

The days of Elon Musk and the DOGE squad running roughshod thru federal executive businesses appear to be coming to an end. President Donald Trump met along with his Cabinet Thursday and — with Musk in the room — introduced a shift again to a “scalpel” technique for government cuts rather than “hatchet.”

Trump and Musk’s efforts with DOGE were highly controversial, as an email disturbing all federal staff justify their persisted employment, huge layoffs, and Musk’s conflicts of interest have all raised eyebrows.

Multiple court cases have already been filed challenging the creation of DOGE, its activities, access to sensitive government knowledge and information, and Musk’s position. The Supreme Courtroom has already smacked down a DOGE-led effort to bring to an end vast swaths of international assist funding, ruling that about $2 billion for contracted work that had already been accomplished might not be withheld. The paradox of Musk’s explicit job title and the way a lot energy he has is some other major felony difficulty; Trump’s comment in his speech to a joint session of Congress Tuesday that DOGE is “headed with the aid of Elon Musk” has already been cited in several of the pending court cases as contradicting the denials by means of Trump administration attorneys.

Adding to the pressure on the White Home is the outrage over layoffs that’s coming from Republican contributors of Congress and different conservative voices, for instance, in regards to the many veterans employed through the federal executive. Ever sensitive to ballot numbers, Musk’s cratering reputation appears likely to have played a consider Trump’s resolution to sideline the Tesla and SpaceX CEO.

In a Truth Social publish Thursday afternoon Trump wrote that it was time to impose “price cutting” by means of the usage of a “scalpel” as a substitute of a “hatchet” — in all probability a rebuke to Musk’s chainsaw-wielding antics at CPAC last month. withIn the post, Trump wrote that he had simply had “a very positive” assembly with his Cabinet secretaries and Musk and declared they were all on the identical web page:

The Golden Age of America has simply begun! During the last six weeks, our Administration has delivered on guarantees like no Administration sooner than it, at all times striking America First! DOGE has been an incredible success, and now that now we have my Cupboard in situation, I have instructed the Secretaries and Leadership to work with DOGE on Price Cutting measures and Staffing. As the Secretaries find out about, and take into account, the people working for the more than a few Departments, they may be able to be very actual as to who will stay, and who will go. We are saying the “scalpel” rather than the “hatchet.” The combo of them, Elon, DOGE, and other amazing folks will be capable of do things at a historical degree.

We simply had a gathering with most of the Secretaries, Elon, and others, and it was once a very positive one. It’s crucial that we minimize ranges down to where they must be, however it’s also necessary to maintain the perfect and best folks. We’re going to have these meetings every two weeks except that aspect of this very important job is done. The relationships between each person in that room are out of the ordinary. They all need to get to the very same location, which is, merely, to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

Politico’s Dasha Burns and Kyle Cheney had extra details on that assembly, writing that Trump had “convened his Cabinet in particular person on Thursday to ship a message: You’re answerable for your departments, not Elon Musk.”

From the Politico report:

In step with two administration officials, Trump told top participants of his administration that Musk was once empowered to make recommendations to the departments however to not issue unilateral decisions on staffing and coverage. Musk used to be also within the room.

…The president’s message represents the first significant move to slender Musk’s mandate. In step with Trump’s new steering, DOGE and its workforce should play an advisory role — but Cabinet secretaries will have to make closing decisions on personnel, coverage and the pacing of implementation.

Musk joined the dialog and indicated he used to be on board with Trump’s directive. In line with one individual conversant in the meeting, Musk mentioned that DOGE had made some missteps — a message he shared earlier this week with contributors of Congress.

Trump stressed out that he wants to maintain excellent people in executive and not eject able federal workers en masse, consistent with one of the crucial officials. It is uncertain whether or not the brand new steerage will result in laid off employees getting rehired.

As of Thursday afternoon, Musk’s pinned tweet is still one from March 4 with a stylized image of him from CPAC, protecting the chainsaw and with the label “The Dogefather” at the back of him.

“Making govt waste a suggestion it could possibly’t refuse,” reads the caption.

The publish Trump Tightens Leash on Elon Musk and DOGE: It’s Time for ‘Scalpel Relatively Than Hatchet’ first seemed on Mediaite.