Elon Musk grabbed center stage at the first Cabinet meeting of President Donald Trump’s second term — despite not heading an actual Cabinet department — saying “America will go bankrupt” without his budget-slashing efforts.

At the first Cabinet meeting, Donald Trump gave Elon Musk the star treatment by asking him to speak first. The billionaire defended Doge’s attempts to fire federal employees, saying ‘it has to be done’.

Musk held forth in a black “Make America Great Again” campaign hat about his role as “humble tech support” for the federal government — and he laid out dire stakes if his cost-cutting efforts fail.