Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) chief Elon Musk will attend the inaugural Cabinet meeting of President Donald J. Trump’s second term on Wednesday. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has confirmed Musk’s participation, noting his role in spearheading the Trump administration’s cost-cutting efforts.
According to Leavitt, Musk will brief the Cabinet on DOGE’s mission to root out inefficiency, focusing on how Cabinet secretaries are tackling waste, fraud, and abuse within their agencies. “He’ll be sharing updates on DOGE’s efforts and the collaborative work happening across the administration,” Leavitt said during a Tuesday press briefing.
Musk’s presence at the meeting, typically reserved for the President, Vice President, Cabinet secretaries, and the White House chief of staff, comes amid ongoing efforts by DOGE to slash federal spending and streamline the government workforce, a priority in Trump’s first month back in office.
Musk, who holds the status of a “special government employee” with a White House office and email but draws no salary, has been the public face of DOGE’s aggressive cost-cutting agenda. However, the White House has emphasized that Musk does not formally head DOGE or wield unilateral decision-making power. This clarification came in response to a lawsuit from several Democratic state attorneys general questioning the extent of Musk’s authority within the administration.
In court, the White House described him as a senior presidential advisor.
PRESS SEC: “Elon is working with the cabinet secretaries and their staff every single day to identify waste, and fraud, and abuse… They’ll be providing updates on their efforts… implementing the promises that the President made on the campaign trail”
— America (@america) February 26, 2025