Elon Musk addressed the first full Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, discussing the efforts of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and defending a recent productivity email sent to federal employees. Speaking at the meeting, which was open to the media, Musk outlined the department’s mission and the urgent need for government reform.

"I actually just call myself a humble tech support hero," Musk stated. "As crazy as it sounds, that is almost a literal description of the work the DOGE team is doing—helping fix the government computer systems," he added, pointing out that many of these systems are outdated and riddled with inefficiencies.

Musk addressed last week's email that directed federal employees to provide a bullet-point list of their weekly accomplishments, a move that sparked debate. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt noted that over 1 million federal workers responded to the directive issued in collaboration with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

"I think that email was perhaps interpreted as a performance review, but actually, it was a pulse check. Do you have a pulse?" Musk explained. "And if you have a pulse and two neurons, you could reply to an email." He emphasized that the task was "not a high bar" and should be achievable by anyone employed by the government.

Musk further elaborated on the rationale behind the exercise, stating that DOGE suspects a number of individuals on the government payroll may be deceased or fictitious. "Some people are not real people... like they're fictional individuals that are collecting a paycheck. Well, somebody is collecting paychecks on a fictional individual, so we're just trying to figure out: Are these people real, are they alive, and can they write an email? Which I think is a reasonable expectation."

Musk clarified that DOGE’s goal is not to act unfairly but to help address the nation's mounting deficit. "We simply cannot sustain a country on $2 trillion deficits," he said, highlighting that interest payments on the national debt now exceed Department of Defense spending. "We spend a lot on the Defense Department, but we're spending like $1 trillion on interest. If this continues, the country will become de facto bankrupt. It’s not optional."

Musk acknowledged the backlash he has faced, including death threats, but remained resolute in his mission. "If we don’t do this, America will go bankrupt. That’s why it has to be done."

Confident in the potential impact of DOGE, Musk stated that the department aims to find $1 trillion in savings, roughly 15% of the federal budget. "We do need to move quickly," he warned. "If we’re to achieve $1 trillion deficit reduction in fiscal year 2026, it requires saving $4 billion per day, every day, from now through the end of September. But we can do it. And we will do it."

Musk concluded by thanking the Cabinet for their support, reinforcing the urgency of the mission, and vowing that the DOGE team would meet its ambitious financial goals.