Washington, 9 March (H.S.): US President Donald Trump denied a report regarding tensions between his senior adviser, Elon Musk, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a White House cabinet meeting. The New York Times detailed that Musk had disagreements with Rubio and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. As the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Musk was pushing for significant cost-cutting and job reductions, sparking unease among cabinet members.

Musk reportedly criticized Rubio for not firing more personnel, except for one from DOGE, and made comments about Rubio’s television presence. In response, Rubio accused Musk of dishonesty, pointing out that 1,500 State Department officials took early retirement and sarcastically questioned if he should rehire them just to fire them again. Duffy claimed that DOGE attempted to lay off crucial air traffic controllers amid aviation safety concerns, to which Musk responded with accusations of misleading statements.

Trump intervened during the dispute and suggested that air traffic controllers be sourced from prestigious institutions like MIT. After the meeting, Trump indicated a more measured approach to cuts, stating they would be made with a “scalpel” rather than a “hatchet.” However, he dismissed the reported clash, asserting that both Musk and Rubio were performing admirably and had a great working relationship. Since Trump’s tenure began, his administration has eliminated or signaled the departure of many federal workers in a drastic efficiency initiative. Moreover, there are ongoing reports of friction between Musk and senior officials due to concerns over the authority of his team.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar