Evening Report — Trump, Musk defend DOGE at first Cabinet meeting

View Online Evening Report Wednesday, Feb. 26 | By Jonathan Easley TRUMP FIRST 100 DAYS ©  Andrew Harnik, Getty Images Trump, Musk defend DOGE as federal workforce braces for more cuts PRESIDENT TRUMP AND ELON MUSK united to defend the work of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) on Wednesday following criticism from select Republicans and pushback from within Trump's Cabinet.   Trump opened his first full Cabinet meeting to the press, where he and Musk discussed the sweeping cuts to the government workforce that some Republicans have viewed as reckless and lacking in empathy.   At the heart of the issue is the email Musk sent through the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) demanding all federal workers explain their accomplishments or risk losing their jobs.   Several of Trump's Cabinet secretaries — all of whom were on hand Wednesday — instructed their workers to ignore Musk's demand, with some citing national security risks.   "Is anybody unhappy with Elon?" Trump joked at the meeting. "If you are, we'll throw them out of here … they have a lot of respect for Elon and some disagree a little bit, but they're not only happy they're thrilled."   The room gave Musk a round of applause.   Musk further explained the OPM email, saying Trump authorized it.   He said it wasn't meant as a "performance review" but rather as a "pulse check" to identify absent or nonexistent workers he says are fraudulently drawing a government paycheck.   "Do you have a pulse and two neurons? If you do, you can reply to an email," Musk said.   Trump said anyone who didn't respond is "on the bubble" and that a second email might go out soon.   Musk elaborated on how he views DOGE, describing it as the government's "tech support" system with the aim of modernizing antiquated computer systems.   He acknowledged "we will make mistakes," saying DOGE accidentally canceled the government's Ebola prevention efforts but later restored them "without interruption."   This comes as a second wave of government workforce cuts are expected.   OPM sent a memo to government agencies Wednesday instructing them to turn over their plans for widespread layoffs by March 13.   Trump said these layoffs would be "a little more surgical."   The president said big cuts are coming to the Department of Education and that the Environmental Protection Agency could see two-thirds of its employees dismissed. CABINET GETS MOVING Wednesday's meeting was the first showcase of Trump's recently confirmed Cabinet secretaries, who largely sat and watched the back and forth between Trump, Musk and the press.   But the agency leaders have big changes in store:   • Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says migrants in the country illegally will be fingerprinted for a national registry.   • Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is reviewing the impacts of psychiatric medications on children, claiming the drugs have been "insufficiently scrutinized" and are addictive.    • Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is firing more than 100 intelligence officers she said sent explicit messages over an internal government chat board.   • Education Secretary Linda McMahon "wholeheartedly" agrees with Trump's plan to abolish the agency she's been appointed to run.   • Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins outlined a strategy to lower the cost of eggs.   • Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is developing a plan to sell "gold" visa cards for $5 million a piece in an effort to bring wealthy migrant business owners to the U.S. He says their goal is to raise $1 trillion through the program that can be used to pay down U.S. debt. DOGE CONTROVERSIES PILE UP DOGE continues to grab headlines for its brute tactics and judicial pushback:   • U.S. Agency for International Development employees were notified they would be given 15 minutes to collect their belongings from their offices before being locked out.   • The Trump administration is appealing a judge's ruling to release billions of dollars in foreign aid they attempted to block.   • A quasi-judicial board temporarily blocked the firing of six probationary federal workers who were terminated — an early sign that some of the administration's widespread firings may be illegal. 💡Perspectives: • The Hill: Elon Musk is wearing out his welcome at the White House. • The Washington Post: Republicans beg for DOGE exemptions. • The Hill: Small Business Administration failed and should be shut down. • The Wall Street Journal: America's future depends on DOGE. • The Message Box: How to make the GOP pay a price for DOGE. Read more:  • 5 takeaways from Trump's first Cabinet meeting. • Musk dominates, disparages federal workers at first Cabinet meeting. • Musk business entanglements loom over CFPB siege. • Who is Amy Gleason, the interim administrator of DOGE? • Trump seeks to run government like a business, for better and worse. CATCH UP QUICK Drugmaker Eli Lilly plans to spend up to $27 billion to build four new pharmaceutical manufacturing sites in the U.S. amid President Trump's push for companies to invest in the U.S.   Christianity in the U.S. stopped its decline after years of losses, according to Pew Research. Apple shareholders rejected a proposal to scrap the company's diversity programs. NEWS THIS AFTERNOON ©  Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Associated Press file U.S. nears deal with Ukraine for rare Earth minerals Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to meet with President Trump at the White House this week amid hopes for an end to the three-year long war between Russia and Ukraine.   White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the U.S. and Ukraine are "close" to signing a deal that would give the U.S. an economic investment in Ukraine in exchange for an implied security guarantee.   Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the deal for rare Earth minerals as being a "tush push" away, a reference to the quarterback sneak in football.   "We're going to be signing an agreement, which will be a very big agreement," Trump said at the White House on Wednesday.   Trumps said the deal would provide Ukraine "sort of automatic security" because "nobody is messing around with our people when we're there."   And Trump thinks a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war could be close.   The president said Putin "will have to" make concessions.   "[Putin] had no intention of settling this war, he wanted the whole thing…and I think we're gonna have a deal," he said. "I can't guarantee that, you know a deal is a deal, lots of crazy things happen."   Ihor Brusylo, a top aid to Zelensky, praised Trump as a "peacemaker and dealmaker" in an interview with NPR. 💡Perspectives: • The Liberal Patriot: Why did Dems lose their edge with women? • The Hill: The Democrats' hypocritical constitutional crisis. • Rolling Stone: Bernie Sanders' battlecry for democracy. • American Greatness: The economics of left-wing populism. Read more:  • Trump envoy may travel to Middle East for Israel-Hamas ceasefire talks.  • GOP lawmakers sound alarm over Trump's Ukraine strategy. • Macron calls meeting with Trump a 'turning point.' • Trump shares AI video envisioning Gaza with gold statue of himself. IN OTHER NEWS ©  Alex Brandon, Associated Press Roundup: Donalds exposes DeSantis-MAGA rift Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) has launched a bid for Florida governor with support from President Trump.   However, the race to replace Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has already exposed divisions between DeSantis and Trump World. DeSantis's wife Casey DeSantis is said to be considering a bid for the governor's mansion.   DeSantis said of Donalds:   "A guy like Byron, he just hasn't been a part of any of the victories that we've had here over the left over these last years. He's just not been a part of it. He's been in other states campaigning doing that and that's fine, but OK, then deliver results up there."   • Trump said Wednesday that new tariffs are coming for Europe.   "We have made a decision and we'll be announcing it very soon," he said. "It'll be 25 percent. … they've taken advantage of us."   Trump also directed his Commerce secretary to investigate the need for possible tariffs on copper, the latest industry to potentially be targeted by the president's sweeping trade agenda.   • The White House reinstated a federal scholarship for historically Black colleges and universities after backlash from lawmakers over its abrupt suspension last week.   IN CASE YOU MISSED IT…   • House Republicans passed their budget resolution Tuesday night after a dramatic sequence of events. Trump made last-minute phone calls to get GOP holdouts on board, resulting in a huge victory for Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).    The drama isn't over: Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said the House resolution will need a "major overhaul" if it's going to pass the Senate. 💡Perspectives: • Washington Monthly: New York City's winter of discontent. • Juan Williams: America's 'second' civil rights movement. • The Guardian: Trump's authoritarian retaliation against the press. Stay Engaged Someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up to get your own copy: TheHill.com/Evening. Did I miss a story? Drop me a line. See you next time! Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  Sign Up for Other Newsletters 400 N Capitol Street NW Suite 650, Washington, DC 20001 © 1998 - 2025 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved.

If you believe this has been sent to you in error, please safely unsubscribe.