WASHINGTON: Elon Musk is set to attend Donald Trump’s inaugural cabinet meeting, even though he is neither an appointed nor elected member of the government.
In Tuesday’s press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Musk, who has been accused of “buying the presidency,” will be present at the first gathering of Trump’s cabinet on Wednesday.
The announcement adds to faced fresh uncertainty among US federal employees, as Musk has presented them with what he calls “another opportunity” to explain the necessity of their roles or face possible termination. This move contradicts earlier advice from certain Trump administration officials that suggested such a response was optional.
The ongoing confusion has spread across federal agencies, with some directing employees to follow certain protocols while others remain silent. This situation is becoming a litmus test for Musk’s influence over government operations as he embarks on an aggressive cost-reduction initiative, bolstered by support from Trump.
Twenty-one workers resigned from his so-called Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) in protest on Tuesday, saying they refused to aid the downsizing effort.
“We will not use our skills as technologists to compromise core government systems, jeopardise Americans’ sensitive data, or dismantle critical public services,” the employees wrote in a resignation posted online.
Doge did not respond to a request for comment on the resignations.
The workers, who include data scientists, product managers and the division head of IT, were employed in an office known as the United States Digital Service before Musk took it over and renamed it Doge after a favourite cryptocurrency.
The recent resignations intensified the tension following Musk’s email request to government employees, urging them to summarize their achievements from the previous week by Monday. On social media, Musk claimed that not responding would be equivalent to resigning from their positions.
