Order Issued to Reduce Number of Government Employees; Musk's Presence at Cabinet Meeting

The government of Donald Trump, the President of the United States, called for a broader reduction of employees in government sectors during a meeting on Wednesday, March 8. According to Reuters, Elon Musk, the head of the government productivity organization, stated that he would act swiftly to reduce government costs. Musk mentioned in the first cabinet meeting of Trump that he intends to cut the $6.7 trillion budget for the current fiscal year by $1 trillion. In this meeting, Trump reiterated his promise to refrain from cutting public health and retirement benefits, which constitute nearly half of the total U.S. budget. According to Reuters, Trump stated that the reduction in government spending would not affect the public health and retirement benefits of American citizens. Musk warned during the cabinet meeting that if this trend continues, the country would effectively become 'bankrupt.' The news agency reported that Trump is simultaneously pressuring the U.S. Congress to extend the tax cuts he proposed during his first term in 2017. So far, the reduction of government employees has focused on those considered 'temporary.' It is still unclear how many government employees will be laid off as part of this policy. Source: Reuters.