Washington DC - President commended for his efforts to dismantle huge parts of the administrative state, in a cabinet meeting during which the tech billionaire took center stage.
Elon Musk dominated Trump's first cabinet meeting after the President said that he was "EXTREMELY HAPPY" with the far-rght billionaire. © AFP/Andrew Harnik/Getty ImagesThe far-right billionaire, who is not an official member of Trump's cabinet, he spoke at the first full cabinet meeting to have taken place since Inauguration Day in January.
In a prelude for what was to come, Trump declared that he was "EXTREMELY HAPPY WITH ELON" in an all-caps briefly before the meeting.
After taking an opening prayer, Trump got straight to business, touting Musk's work at the so-called Department of Government Efficiency and revealing that his administration is looking to gut $1 trillion in spending via continuing mass-layoffs and cuts.
"If we can do that, we're going to start getting to be at a point where we can think in terms of balancing budgets, believe it or not," Trump said.
"Whether it's this year or next year, I think we'll be very close to balancing budgets. I think DOGE is very important."
Elon Musk said that the US was on the verge of bankruptcy and that he thinks they can cut $1 trillion in spending. © AFP/Jim Watson
Musk went on to dominate the next 10 minutes of the meeting, ranting about government expenditure, the importance of balancing the books, and taking questions from the press.
Without presenting any evidence, he claimed that the US was on the brink of bankruptcy and said that what he was doing was crucial for the survival of the country.
He also joked about his opponents, making digs at those who opposed his radical as well as .
The Tesla CEO also touted himself as being government "Tech Support" as DOGE revamps Federal computer systems that he says don't work and run on outdated software.
"We simply cannot sustain as a country a $2 trillion deficit," Musk said. "Just the interest on the debt now exceeds the Defense Department spending – and we spend a lot on the Defense Department."
"If this continues, the country will become de facto bankrupt. This is not an optional thing, it is an essential thing, and that's the reason I'm here."
Musks actions have caused chaos, affecting millions of Americans who depend on government agencies and programs haphazardly slashed. Roughly a third of DOGE staffers in protest, saying that they will not push through demanded changes that put the US at risk.
