On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump held a in-person cabinet meeting to remind members that they, not Elon Musk, are in charge of their respective departments. Musk, who leads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), was present during the discussion.

During the 90-minute meeting, Trump made it clear that while Musk can offer suggestions to the departments, he does not have the authority to make final decisions on staffing or policies, according to reports. The meeting took place at a time when Musk has been criticised for firing federal officials, just days after Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said that cabinet secretaries should have the complete authority to hire and fire.

Trump also assured his cabinet, “Keep all the people you want, everybody that you need.” Similar cabinet sessions are expected to be held every two weeks, according to reports. This meeting is the first time that Trump has taken official action to limit Musk's influence. “I want them to do the best job they can,” Trump said. “Where we have good people, that’s precious, that’s very important, and we want them to keep the good people.”

Musk will only step in if department heads are not making enough savings, he stressed, adding that he is still expected to suggest cuts. Musk agreed with Donald Trump and supported his decision. Reports indicate that Musk admitted his department had made some mistakes. He also assured Republican lawmakers that he was not responsible for large-scale federal job cuts, as the decision to fire employees rests with the agencies.

Trump’s clarification during the cabinet meeting may help ease concerns among judges who have criticised his administration for not making it clear who is leading the effort to reduce government jobs and programs or whether Musk is directly involved in ordering the cuts. A week ago, Musk, acting as DOGE chief, gave federal workers a 48-hour deadline to report what they had done in the past week or risk losing their jobs. The announcement caused confusion, as some departments told their employees not to reply to Musk’s email.