Sat Mar 08 03:04:00 UTC 2025: ## White House Cabinet Meeting Erupts in Musk-Rubio Clash Over Federal Workforce Cuts

**Washington D.C.** – Tensions flared during a recent White House Cabinet meeting as a heated exchange erupted between billionaire advisor Elon Musk and Secretary of State Marco Rubio over Musk’s aggressive federal workforce reduction plan. According to a *New York Times* report, the clash, witnessed by President Trump and approximately 20 Cabinet members, saw Musk accused of insufficient staff dismissals by Rubio, who countered with his own reorganization plans for the State Department.

The conflict stemmed from Musk’s controversial closure of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), previously under Rubio’s control. Rubio reportedly criticized Musk for disregarding the 1,500 State Department officials who accepted early retirement buyouts, questioning whether the dismissals were merely a symbolic gesture.

The argument also extended to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who voiced concerns over Musk’s proposed layoffs of air traffic controllers amidst a recent rise in plane crashes. Musk defended his actions, claiming that individuals hired under diversity, equity, and inclusion programs were employed in control towers. Secretary of Veteran Affairs Doug Collins further added that Musk’s cuts would negatively impact thousands of veterans, a key demographic of the Trump base.

President Trump ultimately intervened, praising both Rubio and Musk for their work, but also signaling a shift in approach. He announced that Cabinet secretaries would assume greater control over the reduction efforts, limiting Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to an advisory role. In a subsequent social media post, Trump stated that future workforce reductions would be implemented with a more measured approach.

While Musk initially defended his record and later claimed the meeting was “very productive” on X (formerly Twitter), President Trump himself denied the *Times’* account of the meeting to reporters, insisting that there was no clash and both Musk and Rubio were performing exceptionally well.

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