President Donald Trump convened his Cabinet on Thursday to lay out how his administration will be handling cost-cutting measures and staffing moving forward after mounting criticism over Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency.

“As the Secretaries learn about, and understand, the people working for the various Departments, they can be very precise as to who will remain, and who will go,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “We say the “scalpel” rather than the “hatchet.” The combination of them, Elon, DOGE, and other great people will be able to do things at a historic level.”

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The meeting comes after a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to rescind thousands of job terminations of federal employees implemented by the Office of Personnel Management, ruling that the maneuver was illegal.

Two administration officials told Politico that Trump told his agency leaders that Musk, who was in attendance, would be allowed to make recommendations about their departments, but would not be issuing orders on staffing.

MUSK TRIES TO SMOOTH OVER TENSIONS WITH CONGRESS AMID PUSH TO PUT DOGE CUTS INTO LAW

Musk has increasingly faced legal setbacks, Democratic protests, and even some Republican griping amid his aggressive efforts to slash the federal workforce.

Republican lawmakers have faced intense pushback from alleged constituents at town halls over DOGE layoffs and firings. The tech billionaire’s two mass emails to federal workers directing them to list out five accomplishments caused mass confusion among agencies and departments in a notable instance.

Some departments have even been forced to rehire workers who had been axed by DOGE’s efforts. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reinstated 180 probationary employees after a federal judge’s ruling said their firings were “unlawful.”

On Wednesday, Musk met with Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill to discuss how better to collaborate with lawmakers about DOGE’s actions.

Despite repeatedly backing Musk’s efforts, including signaling him out at a joint address to Congress this week, this represents Trump’s most significant action to limit Musk’s powers.

Trump tried to paint the Cabinet meeting in a “positive” light on Thursday. The convening, according to Trump, will continue every two weeks.

“We just had a meeting with most of the Secretaries, Elon, and others, and it was a very positive one,” he wrote. “It’s very important that we cut levels down to where they should be, but it’s also important to keep the best and most productive people.”

“The relationships between everybody in that room are extraordinary,” Trump added trying to tamp down speculation that Musk is causing tension with Cabinet members.

White House press secretary named Amy Gleason as the administer of DOGE after the Trump administration claimed Musk is a special government employee not the head of DOGE.

But Trump complicated that effort when he directly called Musk the head of DOGE during his address to Congress, and could likely impact the legal problems plaguing DOGE.