By Gill Bikram Singh 
US President Donald Trump told his cabinet that his billionaire advisor Elon Musk is not the “head” of his departments and does not have the authority to fire federal employees, Politico reported on Thursday, citing sources. According to the report, the Republican leader also said that the Tesla chief is only empowered to advise departments but is not authorized to take unilateral decisions on personnel and policies. According to Politico, Elon Musk agreed with this directive and was present at the meeting.
According to the report, Elon Musk also admitted his mistakes in accidentally cancelling Ebola prevention funding last week during Trump’s first cabinet meeting.
This development coincides with Musk and his newly created “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) working on cost-cutting measures, including laying off federal employees. However, Elon Musk himself did not fire government employees. He does not have the legal authority to do so, but DOGE’s efforts have led to a significant number of layoffs and resignations.
According to reports, more than 20,000 employees have been laid off, while 75,000 have accepted voluntary layoffs. These layoffs have primarily affected employees who were on probationary status. They have less civil service protection, making them easier to remove. These layoffs have affected many agencies, including the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Department of Energy, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and others.
Politico wrote, “This message from the President is the first important step toward limiting Elon Musk’s order.” According to Trump’s new order, DOGE and its employees will play an advisory role, but the final decision will be made by cabinet secretaries.