This Wednesday, President Donald Trump will hold his first Cabinet meeting since re-entering office last month.
With most of his cabinet nominees confirmed by Congress, this meeting will serve as an opportunity for Trump to push forward with his agenda.
Elon Musk at the Table
One notable figure attending the meeting is Elon Musk, the billionaire who has been tasked with overseeing the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Musk’s role involves overseeing a controversial initiative to cut thousands of federal jobs.
Even though Musk doesn’t hold a formal government position or have decision-making powers like a typical cabinet member, he is classified as a “special government employee” and a “senior adviser to the president” in charge of DOGE, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
More Controversial Figures
Musk won’t be the only controversial figure at the table.
Several other members of Trump’s administration have raised eyebrows, including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has expressed skepticism about vaccines.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who has been associated with conspiracy theories, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News host who has faced sexual assault allegations, are also part of the mix.
Trump’s cabinet picks have all been approved by the Senate, despite heavy criticism from Democrats over the nominees’ qualifications and controversial backgrounds. The narrow Republican majority in the Senate has allowed Trump to maintain a strong grip on his party, with dissenters having mostly backed down.
The Senate’s Approval and Opposition
Former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was the only Republican to vote against Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s confirmation as Health Secretary.
His appointment raised concerns in the medical community due to his history of promoting vaccine misinformation and his plans to suspend research on infectious diseases.
A few of Trump’s appointees are still awaiting Senate confirmation, including Lori Chavez-DeRemer, a former congresswoman tapped to be Secretary of Labor, and Linda McMahon, who previously ran the Small Business Administration during Trump’s first term.
Drama at the Department of Government Efficiency
Meanwhile, Musk’s leadership of DOGE has been rocky.
On Tuesday, a third of his staff resigned in protest after Musk sent a mass email to the federal workforce, asking the two million federal employees to justify their work or risk being fired.
Most government departments have advised their employees to ignore the email or downplay the consequences of not responding.
Since Trump’s inauguration, thousands of probationary federal workers—those who were recently hired, promoted, or reassigned—have already been terminated.
The Cabinet Meeting: A Moment of Tension
The upcoming Cabinet meeting is bound to be a tense one, with a mix of contentious figures and ongoing struggles within the administration. Would you want to be a fly on the wall at that meeting?
Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below, or reach out via WhatsApp.
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