Trump Limits Musk's Power Over Federal Workforce Cuts

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2 days ago

Above: Elon Musk, an advisor to the US Department of Government Efficiency, listens at the first Cabinet meeting of Pres. Donald Trump's second term at the White House on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Image copyright: Jabin Botsford/Contributor/The Washington Post via Getty Imagesstory last updated 2 days ago

The Facts

US Pres. Donald Trump held a Cabinet meeting on Thursday where he instructed cabinet secretaries to take primary control over staffing decisions, marking a significant shift from the broad authority previously given to Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
The directive comes after DOGE's aggressive approach led to mass firings across federal agencies, with at least 10% of the federal workforce terminated since January, resulting in numerous lawsuits and widespread criticism from Democrats and Republicans.
Trump emphasized the need for a more precise "scalpel" approach rather than DOGE's previous "hatchet" method, instructing Cabinet secretaries to work alongside DOGE while retaining final authority over personnel decisions in their respective departments.

The Spin

Republican narrative

Trump's leadership of DOGE proves he's wielding presidential power to cut waste and fraud, not delegating authority to a rogue billionaire. After Musk got the ball rolling on this historic cost-cutting crusade, Trump's Cabinet secretaries will take the reins while following his vision. Despite baseless lawsuits and mainstream media attacks, Trump's agenda thrives — even liberal polling shows the vast majority of Americans support DOGE.

Townhall FOX News

Democratic narrative

Trump did delegate power to rogue billionaire Elon Musk, whose DOGE used US Marshals to seize a federal agency, sparking lawsuits and chaos. This brazen overreach shows a lawless power grab, not efficiency. If the manner in which DOGE operates wasn't bad enough, the initiative's hype is a facade, with experts showing that Musk has only saved $2B compared to the tens of billions he's claimed. This charade is to distract from Trump's big spending and tax cuts.

New York Times The New Republic