The Tesla CEO claimed they have been getting "a lot of death threats" amid ongoing controversies surrounding DOGE's decisions.
Washington: US President Donald Trump convened his first Cabinet meeting at the White House, which began with a prayer, on February 26. The meeting included Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Notably, billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, who is not a Cabinet member, was also in attendance. The tech tycoon, who was seen wearing a black “Make America Great Again" baseball cap, was asked by Trump to stand up and talk about the controversial program of his so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
(Photo courtesy: Donald J Trump/Facebook)
The billionaire told the cabinet that he has been getting "a lot of death threats" for the work he was doing. He described his role as "humble tech support" for the federal government, and defended his team's cost-cutting efforts, adding that if they failed then "America would go bankrupt".
"We simply cannot sustain, as a country, $2 trillion deficits," the Tesla and SpaceX CEO added. Musk said the DOGE "will make mistakes" and "won't be perfect". "But when we make a mistake, we'll fix it very quickly."
Trump said that the 25 per cent tariffs on Canada and Mexico will be implemented on April 2. Additionally, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the difference is that the levies are aimed at curbing the flow of fentanyl in comparison to the reciprocal tariffs that Trump called for. The president also revealed that he was set to impose 25 per cent tariffs on many imports from key ally Europe — and proclaimed that the “European Union was created to screw the United States".
Zelenskyy to visit White HouseUkraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that a broader framework on minerals deal with the US was ready but cautioned that its success would depend on US President Donald Trump. He also said that he hopes to travel to Washington on February 28 to meet Trump to discuss the deal and future aid. “Ukraine needs to know where the United States stands on its continued military support, " Zelenskyy said, according to a Reuters report. The Ukrainian leader told reporters that the deal was part of broader agreements with the US and could provide security guarantees to Ukraine to ensure a lasting and fair peace. Trump also confirmed that Zelenskyy will visit the White House to sign a long-sought minerals deal that will closely tie the two countries together for years to come. |
