In one of President Donald Trump's latest cabinet meetings, there are claims that tension boiled between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and tech magnate entrepreneur Elon Musk. This supposed confrontation has been covered by several news sites.
Dispute Over Government Layoffs
Reports indicate Trump created the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) with an aim to curtail unnecessary expenses and streamline operations within the government. The project has resulted in massive job terminations, causing a huge uproar.
Musk, the overseer of DOGE, justified the layoff in a meeting, arguing he was just letting go of underperforming staff. As a reply, Rubio is said to have quipped sarcastically:
"1,500 employees have retired already. If I were to lay them off, I would have to bring them back to work just to lay them off."
Trump's Response: No Conflict
Speaking to the media from the Oval Office, Trump downplayed the reports of a feud.
"There is no conflict. I was there. Musk and Rubio get along well. They are both doing an excellent job," Trump said.
Massive Government Restructuring Under Musk
After Trump's second-term win, he installed Musk as head of DOGE in a bid to reduce government expenditure. Thousands of government and federal workers are being fired by Musk, who is emphasizing high-performing replacements.
Although Musk's extreme methods have been met with criticism by experts and Democrats, Trump has remained supportive of his methods, arguing that efficiency is paramount.
