A month after returning to office, U.S. President Donald Trump chaired his first Cabinet meeting on February 26. As expected, the session drew public attention. The hour-long meeting included Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Discussions covered several major topics, including Elon Musk’s role, tariffs, Ukraine, and a new citizenship plan.

Musk Steals the Spotlight

Although not a Cabinet member, Elon Musk’s presence was significant. About 12 minutes into the meeting, Trump invited him to speak first. Wearing a black ‘Make America Great Again’ cap, Musk outlined his involvement in government reforms. Trump opened the conversation with humor. “Is anybody unhappy with Elon?” he asked. Nervous laughter followed. “If you are, we’ll throw him out of here,” he added. Musk referred to himself as “humble tech support” and explained his role in reducing the federal deficit. “The overall goal here with the Doge team is to help address the enormous deficit. We simply cannot sustain as a country $2 trillion deficits,” he said. His team aimed to modernize government systems while cutting costs. He defended a controversial email sent to federal employees asking them to justify their work. “I said, ‘Can we send out an email to everyone just saying what did you get done last week,’ and the president said yes,” Musk explained. He dismissed concerns, calling it a “pulse check” rather than a performance review. Musk made an unverified claim that some federal employees were deceased but still on payroll. He also acknowledged past mistakes, such as briefly canceling Ebola prevention programs. “I think we all want Ebola prevention, so we restored it immediately,” he said. Additionally, he revealed receiving multiple death threats for his role. “I’m taking a lot of flack,” Musk said. “And getting a lot of death threats, by the way.”

Trump’s Tariff Plans

Trump also addressed trade policies. He announced tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and the European Union. Initially set for March 4, tariffs on Canada and Mexico were postponed to April 2. Commerce Secretary Lutnick suggested further delays were possible if both countries met Trump’s expectations. Regarding the European Union, Trump planned a 25% tariff on certain products, including cars. “We’ll be announcing it very soon,” he said. He accused the EU of unfair trade practices. “They’ve really taken advantage of us,” Trump stated. “They don’t accept our cars. They don’t accept essentially our farm products.”

Zelenskyy’s Visit and Ukraine Deal

Amid tensions with Ukraine, Trump confirmed that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would visit the White House on February 28. Despite calling Zelenskyy a “dictator” earlier, Trump expressed interest in a rare-earth minerals deal. “We’ll be really partnering with Ukraine in terms of rare Earth. We very much need rare Earth. They have great rare Earth,” he said. However, Trump avoided committing to security guarantees. “Well, I’m not gonna make security guarantees beyond very much. We’re gonna have Europe do that,” he stated. He suggested that U.S. presence in Ukraine could serve as an indirect security measure. “Nobody’s going to be messing around with our people when we’re there,” he added.

‘Gold Card’ Citizenship Plan

During the meeting, Trump also promoted his ‘gold card’ proposal. This plan would allow individuals to buy U.S. citizenship for $5 million. Confident in the idea, Trump said, “I happen to think it’ll sell like crazy. It’s a market.” “If we sell a million, that’s $5 trillion,” he added. He believed the business community would eagerly participate. Commerce Secretary Lutnick explained that the ‘gold card’ would replace the EB-5 visa program, which grants U.S. visas to investors spending around $1 million in businesses hiring at least ten people. Lutnick criticized the EB-5 program for poor oversight and execution. He claimed the new system would be more efficient and lucrative.

Conclusion

Trump’s first Cabinet meeting highlighted key issues, from economic reforms to international relations. While Musk’s presence dominated the discussion, Trump’s trade policies, Ukraine deal, and new immigration proposal also took center stage. His administration now moves forward with these plans amid public and political scrutiny.