US government: Musk will attend Trump's cabinet meeting

On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump will meet with his entire cabinet for the first time - tech billionaire Elon Musk has also been invited to the meeting. "Elon - given the fact that he works with the President and our ministers - (...) will be present tomorrow," White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt confirmed when asked in Washington. Musk will speak about the DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) panel and how the ministries can "uncover waste, fraud and abuse in their respective agencies."

Trump instructed Musk to reduce government spending and apparently granted him extensive powers to take action - including controversial mass layoffs, the legality of which is unclear. With the Doge Committee, the estimated richest person in the world has been influencing the work of numerous US authorities for weeks. But contrary to the image that Musk himself cultivates, especially on his online platform X, his official role in the committee remains opaque. Doge and thus Musk's role are now being investigated in a federal court due to a lawsuit against the brutal approach.

When asked about the leadership of Doge, Leavitt did not want to give a clear answer. She explained that Musk "oversees" the committee, but is not officially entrusted with its leadership. When repeatedly asked who is in charge, Leavitt finally replied: "I will not reveal the name of that person here on the podium."

Musk had generously supported Trump financially during the election campaign. The Republican had originally defined the multi-billionaire's role as an external advisor outside the government. But this relationship quickly changed: Shortly after his swearing-in, Trump elevated Musk to the status of "special government employee" - a status that is actually associated with strict restrictions and ethics rules.

As CEO of Tesla, SpaceX and X, Musk has far-reaching economic interests. Critics fear that he has long since crossed the line between private influence and official government responsibility - and that without complying with the prescribed regulations.