Elon Musk delivered a stark warning during President Trump’s first Cabinet meeting of the new term, declaring America faces bankruptcy without aggressive federal cost-cutting. The SpaceX CEO, wearing a black Make America Great Again hat, framed his controversial Government Efficiency (DOGE) overhaul as critical to national survival.
Musk revealed his team identified $1 trillion in potential savings but admitted horrible things surfaced during audits.
If we don’t do this, America will go bankrupt,he told Cabinet members, citing death threats received over his disruptive reforms.
The billionaire’s latest mandate requires federal workers to justify weekly productivity or face termination – a policy Musk defended as a basic pulse check.
This isn’t a high bar,
he stated, suggesting some employees might be fictional or deceased. Critics argue the move jeopardizes national security and privacy protections.Key initiatives driving the upheaval include:
- Whistleblower reports of phantom federal workers
- Massive USAID budget reductions
- Controversial foreign aid freezes
Musk acknowledged procedural errors, including temporarily halting Ebola prevention funds. While claiming no service interruptions, USAID officials confirmed critical virus containment programs remained frozen under Trump’s January 20th executive order.
President Trump praised Musk’s sacrifice despite mounting criticism, joking he’d remove any dissenting Cabinet members. The meeting concluded with Trump redirecting focus to his administration’s early achievements, while Musk promised continued aggressive reforms despite potential missteps.
