WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Members of President Donald Trump Trump’s cabinet is expected to reduce the impact of Department of Government Efficiency staff members reassert control of budgets and personnel after Elon Musk Musk steps back From DOGE, according to two governmental sources familiar with the situation stated.
The Department of Government Efficiency, established via an executive order when Trump assumed office and led by a billionaire, Musk , has led initiatives to reduce the size of the federal workforce and cut the deficit through widespread terminations, cancellation of contracts, and decreased services for Americans throughout the federal government.
But Musk On Tuesday, confirmed arrangements were made to decrease his governmental involvement to just one or two days per week in order to concentrate more on revitalizing his struggling automobile company, Tesla. This has sparked queries regarding the direction of the agency’s initiatives. Serving as a special government employee, his term seemed set to conclude by the end of May.
The wealthy individual has offered the White House some political backing as DOGE implemented an initiative aimed at reducing costs, which has resulted in significant unpopularity among the permanent staff. Cabinet Secretaries see DOGE employees as intruding upon their customary power to recruit and dismiss staff members, and some have hesitated to follow its directives.
Recently, tensions have risen within the Trump administration regarding the powers bestowed upon certain officials. Musk . During a March cabinet During the meeting, Secretary of State Marco Rubio had a confrontation with Musk Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy accused him of destabilizing USAID. Musk Amid worries about aviation safety, sources close to the matter revealed plans for potential layoffs of air traffic controllers.
Cabinet Secretaries have continually advocated for increased authority over financial choices, and this has remained unchanged. Musk Given his prominent role as a counterbalance, their initiative to enforce strategic expenditure reductions—instead of broad cutbacks—are expected to progress with less resistance, according to the sources who spoke anonymously due to discussing unauthorized matters.
The biggest change will be the enhanced power granted to them. cabinet Itself. The agency leaders will now hold the ultimate authority over which proposals proceed, thereby cementing their position at the heart of federal efforts aimed at enhancing efficiency and managing expenditures.
The cabinet will enjoy greater independence and won’t require supervision anymore Musk His approval at each step was necessary, according to one source.
The shifting leadership dynamics within DOGE will also lead to a reassessment of the roles and responsibilities of young engineers initially hired by Musk to staff DOGE.
The impact of the engineers could lessen, according to the source, who also mentioned that they would face greater oversight. The source pointed out that the credentials and power of this group of inexperienced young engineers in governmental matters will likely be challenged.
The White House spokesperson, Harrison Fields, advanced this information. back on the idea that Musk stepping back His involvement indicates a change in the course or impact of DOGE.
"The design of DOGE is such that the Cabinet al ready Has that autonomy regarding spending reductions. DOGE has merely been part of the agency," Fields stated. "There won’t be any modifications. DOGE is operating seamlessly. It’s practically on autopilot, and it’s functioning effectively within the federal government to implement the President’s agenda," Fields explained.
Numerous observers of DOGE, ranging from scholars to supporters and critics of his agency’s initiatives, believe that the budget cutting activities will persist unabated regardless. Musk He transitioned to part-time employment, pointing out executive orders that initiated this change and were put into effect under Trump. Cabinet Officials are onboard with his plan.
"A significant portion of what DOGE has implemented has become ingrained within many of these organizations, and this trend will continue," stated Nick Bednar, an associate professor of law at the University of Minnesota Law School, who has been monitoring the governmental workforce reductions. He believes that government entities are not likely to undo the changes initiated by DOGE.
"There’s a train that has departed, and it’s hard to bring it to a halt," Bednar stated.
‘MOSTLY DONE’
Musk , a top back The leader of Trump’s efforts for the 2024 election and the CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, as well as the executive chairperson of X, serves as the primary ideologue pushing for extensive governmental restructuring. This individual has strategically placed high-ranking officials within crucial government departments and reassigned ex-employees from X and SpaceX to numerous federal agencies with instructions to implement significant reductions in staffing levels.
He has been involved in numerous White House efforts, including implementing a federal hiring freeze, proposing multiple rounds of government-wide voluntary separations, and issuing directives for agencies to develop strategies aimed at reducing personnel. He required federal employees to report their accomplishments through detailed weekly email updates, which were initially adhered to by most staffers. cabinet Secretaries, but this practice has largely ceased now.
The substantial amount of effort required to establish and have the DOGE team operational within the government to stabilize the finances is largely completed, Musk said on Tuesday.
With Musk In terms of his business, DOGE must seek out another leader. A potential candidate could be Amy Gleason, whom the White House designated as acting administrator in February. In a court submission dated March 19, she stated that Musk doesn't function at DOGE. Trump has refuted this multiple times by stating on many occasions that Musk is in charge.
Nonetheless, it has always been unclear what his daily responsibilities entail, and this ambiguity will grow even more significant as he prepares to leave.
Tom Schatz, who supports DOGE’s mission and serves as the president of the watchdog organization Citizens Against Government Waste, suggested that his departure might enhance the effectiveness of DOGE.
Musk “acts as a lightning rod” who “attracts attention to anything he does,” he mentioned. Musk Playing a minor part, "it might be... perhaps more impactful due to the lesser focus on him."
(Reported by Nandita Bose, Alexandra Alper, and Tim Reid from Washington; edited by Chris Sanders and Ross Colvin)