Washington, Feb 26 (EFE). – United States President Donald Trump used the first cabinet meeting of his second term to highlight the efforts to shrink the government led by Elon Musk.
The owner of the X and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX was seated in the second row, wearing a cap and a T-shirt that said “Tech Support” on the front, but he was the first person Trump gave the floor to after his opening statement and a prayer.
Musk said the work he is doing at the helm of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is critical: “We do need to move quickly if we’re to achieve a trillion dollar deficit reduction in the financial year 2026,” he said.
Adding that without spending cuts, “America will go bankrupt.”
During the meeting, Trump said his first month in office had been “very successful.”
He also addressed the upcoming meeting with Volodomyr Zelenskyy: “We’re doing very well with Russia-Ukraine. President Zelenskyy is going to be coming on Friday. It’s now confirmed, and we’re going to be signing an agreement.”
“We’ve been able to make a deal where we’re going to get our money back, and we’re going to get a lot of money in the future,” Trump added, referring to the deal Ukraine is expected to sign with the US over access to mineral deposits.
US President Donald Trump reiterated that such assurances should come from Europe, Ukraine’s “next-door neighbor.”
He also said he was confident about the possibility of reaching a deal to end the conflict, insisting that Russian President Vladimir Putin was “a very smart guy” and that the Russian leader had no intention of settling the war until Trump was re-elected to the White House.
Trump also commented on the situation in Gaza and Israel, saying the latter must decide on the ceasefire, he said, stressing that it was up to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to see how to move forward.
Tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and the European Union were also a subject.
Trump pushed back the deadline on 25% levies for Mexico and Canada to begin receiving the 25% levies, giving them more time to show that they are controlling fentanyl and immigration at their borders.
He also said he would soon announce 25% tariffs on the European Union, adding that the EU bloc “was formed to screw the United States.” EFE
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