DOGE cuts, immigration gold card topics of Trump’s first cabinet meeting

President Donald Trump met with his second-term presidential cabinet for the first time on Wednesday, along with Elon Musk and media members also in attendance. Trump, Musk, and over a dozen federal department heads, answered media questions about the number of governmental plans regarding continued budget cuts and foreign relations.

DOGE updates: The Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, plans to free about 15% of the government’s $7 trillion budget by uncovering fraud and waste, according to Musk. He described the department’s current focus on removing former or fictitious employees erroneously still on the government’s payroll. Employees only need to reply to a check-in email from DOGE to prove that they are alive and working, Musk said, describing the emails as “pulse checks.”

He described his untitled office as tech support, saying that a majority of his role is installing new software and replacing outdated government devices. Musk also addressed widespread concerns of mass government layoffs, telling the media that DOGE plans to keep essential employees who do their jobs well. He also acknowledged that erroneous cuts can always be restored. Trump said he planned to run a similar pulse check audit on the Social Security roster, alleging that deceased individuals are still receiving checks. Some active recipients are technically 200 years old and are still receiving checks, he said.

Immigration: Trump also discussed his gold card plan to charge wealthy foreigners $5 million for the ability to live and work in the United States with a pathway to full citizenship. The name played off the traditional immigration green card and would be available in about two weeks. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick clarified that the gold card holders would be vetted beforehand and that the program would replace the government’s current EB-5 immigrant investor visa program. About 250,000 people are waiting for EB-5 status, and if only 200,000 buy a gold card, that would bring a $1 trillion profit, Lutnick explained.

Other Key Points from Trump:

• Said that EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin expected to cut about 65% of the EPA employee pool after finding many listed employees that didn’t even exist.

• Planned to keep most tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China in place for the time being.

• Suggested that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fire all command staff involved in the botched U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan

• Refused to comment on whether Taiwan would be protected from a Chinese takeover while he was president.

Who’s even on the Cabinet? Senate-confirmed cabinet members include:

• Secretary of State: Marco Rubio, former Florida senator and challenger to Trump in the 2016 presidential election.

• Secretary of Treasury: Scott Bessent, hedge fund manager and partner at Soros Fund Management

• Secretary of Defense: Pete Hegseth, retired Army National Guard officer and former Fox News host

• Attorney General: Pam Bondi, former Florida attorney general

• Secretary of the Interior: Doug Burgum, former North Dakota governor and Trump challenger in the 2024 presidential candidate

• Secretary of Agriculture: Brooke Rollins, attorney and former political advisor

• Secretary of Commerce: Howard Lutnick, former CEO of financial groups Cantor Fitzgerald and BGC Group

• Secretary of Health and Human Services: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an environmental lawyer, nephew of President John F. Kennedy, and failed 2024 presidential candidate.

• Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: Scott Turner, retired NFL player turned public servant who led a White House council during Trump’s first term.

• Secretary of Transportation: Sean Duffy, former U.S. congressman from Wisconsin

• Secretary of Energy: Chris Wright, former energy company CEO and entrepreneur

• Secretary of Veterans Affairs: Doug Collins, former U.S. congressman from Georgia and U.S. Air Force veteran

• Secretary of Homeland Security: Kristi Noem, former governor of South Dakota