Trump Reins In Musk's Power: 'Only Cabinet Heads Have Authority to Fire Staff, Not You'

President Donald Trump has cut back billionaire and head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Elon Musk's power, telling his Cabinet that they alone have the authority to fire staff members.

During a Thursday meeting, the president clarified that his close ally does not have the ability to terminate federal employees, but rather can provide recommendations. The final decision, however, is up to the Cabinet heads, two administration officials told Politico.

Musk was reportedly present at the meeting, admitting that DOGE's process so far had not been perfect. He appeared to agree with Trump's decision, the sources said.

Trump's decision marks the first major move by the administration to restrict Musk's influence after a slew of firings hit various government agencies. The decisions have led to backlash not only from Democratic lawmakers, but also from Republicans' constituents and Americans across the country.

In the weeks since the firings, some federal agencies have had to rescind their termination letters and ask employees to come back to work. In other cases, judges have ruled that some of the firings were unlawful.

The Tesla CEO previously admitted to making mistakes with DOGE in a Wednesday meeting with House Republicans, the Washington Times reported. Lawmakers were given a phone number of one of DOGE's employees to reach out to for further questions in the future.

Despite the reduction of Musk's power, Trump took to Truth Social Thursday celebrating DOGE, insisting that the task force has been "an incredible success." The president shared that he had instructed Cabinet members to "work with DOGE on cost cutting measures."

"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," Trump stated.