Elon Musk‘s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was accused by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy of attempting to fire air traffic controllers despite the series of recent plane crashes, according to The New York Times.
The heated exchange reportedly occurred Thursday when President Donald Trump called his Cabinet into the Oval Office to clarify the scope of Musk’s authority within the administration. Trump emphasized that Cabinet secretaries, not Musk, hold ultimate responsibility for staffing and policy decisions in their respective agencies.
This account is based on interviews with five people with knowledge of the events.
Why It Matters
The meeting was a critical moment in Trump’s second term, marking the first significant sign that the president was willing to put limits on Musk’s expanding role in reshaping the federal government.
While many cabinet officials agreed on the need to reduce waste and inefficiency, frustrations grew over Musk’s “hacksaw” approach, which frequently resulted in abrupt and disruptive shake-ups, most notably at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
What To Know
According to reporting by The Times’ Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman, who interviewed five people with knowledge of the events, during a heated exchange over the state of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Musk and Duffy clashed over proposed changes to air traffic control staffing.
Musk, backed by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, discussed the need for updates to the FAA’s tracking equipment, but tensions rose when Duffy accused Musk’s team of trying to lay off air traffic controllers despite ongoing plane crashes and flight-safety concerns.
Musk, according to The Times, denied the claim, calling it a “lie,” while Duffy insisted he had heard it directly from Musk’s staff. When Musk demanded names of those supposedly fired, Duffy clarified that no one had been dismissed because he had personally prevented the layoffs.
White House Senior Advisor to the President and Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk departs the U.S. Capitol Building on March 5, 2025, in Washington, DC.
White House Senior Advisor to the President and Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk departs the U.S. Capitol Building on March 5, 2025, in Washington, DC.
AFP/Getty Images
The confrontation escalated when Musk reportedly suggested that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) hires were in control towers, though he did not provide details when challenged by Duffy.
“What am I supposed to do?” Duffy asked. “I have multiple plane crashes to deal with now, and your people want me to fire air traffic controllers?”
At another point, Musk suggested that air traffic controllers hired through DEI programs were responsible for inefficiencies in control towers, though when pressed, he failed to provide specific examples.
The exchange ended when Trump once again stepped in, offering his own solution. “Hire geniuses from M.I.T.,” he instructed Duffy. “These air traffic controllers need to be the best.”
When reached for comment, the Department of Transportation referred Newsweek to a social media post by Duffy published Friday, in which he said he would continue working closely with Musk and DOGE.
“DOGE is doing incredible work helping agencies identity inefficiencies as well as advising us as we work on the critical upgrades to our air traffic control system. During the Cabinet meeting, I discussed the importance of safety, particularly at the FAA and with air traffic controllers. The DEI Department at the FAA was eliminated on day 2,” Duffy posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Rubio Confronts Musk
Senator Marco Rubio also weighed in on Musk’s growing role in government, confronting him during the closed-door session, according to The New York Times.
Seated across from each other at the elliptical mahogany table, Musk and Rubio exchanged sharp words as President Trump and his top officials looked on.
The New York Times reported that Musk accused Rubio of failing to cut his department’s workforce, sneering that the only person Rubio had fired was someone from Musk’s DOGE.
Rubio, whose frustrations had been boiling for weeks, according to The Times shot back. The billionaire, he said, was not being truthful. “What about the more than 1,500 State Department officials who took early retirement in buyouts?” Rubio asked sarcastically. “Do you want me to rehire them just so I can fire them again?” He then laid out his reorganization plans for the department.
Musk remained unimpressed, dismissing Rubio with a smirk and a condescending jab. “You’re good on TV,” Musk said, implying that the senator was better at political theatrics than governing. Trump, who had been watching the exchange unfold like a spectator at a tennis match, finally leaned forward and intervened.
“Rubio’s doing a great job,” Trump said, acknowledging the senator’s heavy workload while urging everyone in the room to “work together.”
Newsweek reached out to the White House and the Secretary of State via email for comment.
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump, during an Oval Office press conference after the meeting on Thursday: “Elon and the group are gonna be watching them. If they can cut, it’s better. And if they don’t cut, then Elon will do the cutting.”
Elon Musk, head of DOGE, after the meeting on X: “Very productive.”
Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said in a statement to The Times: “As President Trump said, this was a great and productive meeting amongst members of his team to discuss cost-cutting measures and staffing across the federal government. Everyone is working as one team to help President Trump deliver on his promise to make our government more efficient.”
What Happens Next
Trump expects to hold meetings with Musk and Cabinet members every two weeks for the foreseeable future about DOGE’s cost-cutting efforts. Following the meeting, Trump posted on Truth Social that the next phase of his cost-cutting initiative would be conducted with a “scalpel” rather than a “hatchet.”
Update 3/7/25, 5:11 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Update 3/7/25, 6:05 p.m. ET: This article was updated with a response from the Department of Transportation.