US President Donald Trump is set to hold his first Cabinet meeting on Wednesday since returning to office, as he looks to push forward his administration’s agenda with most of his nominees now confirmed by Congress.
Among those attending is billionaire supporter and advisor Elon Musk, who leads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an agency focused on cutting federal jobs. Despite not holding a formal ministerial position, Musk is classified as a *“special government employee”* and *“senior adviser to the president,”* according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Musk, Trump’s top donor in the 2024 presidential campaign, is just one of several controversial figures in the new administration. Others include Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a well-known vaccine skeptic, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who has promoted conspiracy theories, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News host who has faced sexual assault allegations.
Despite Democratic opposition, the Senate has confirmed all of Trump’s Cabinet picks so far, reflecting his firm control over the Republican Party. The lone GOP dissenter in a key vote was former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who opposed Kennedy’s confirmation over concerns about his stance on vaccines and his pledge to suspend research on infectious diseases.
A few appointees, including Labor Secretary nominee Lori Chavez-DeRemer and Small Business Administration pick Linda McMahon, are still awaiting Senate approval.
Meanwhile, Musk’s leadership of DOGE has already sparked internal turmoil. One-third of his staff resigned on Tuesday after he ordered a mass email to the federal government’s two million employees, demanding they justify their jobs or risk termination. While many agencies have advised staff to ignore the directive, thousands of probationary workers have already been dismissed since Trump’s inauguration.
AFP
