Trump recalibrates as foes target Musk and tariffs

Published March 7, 2025 7:00am ET



President Donald Trump showed his trademark flexibility Thursday on a pair of issues Democrats have been hoping to use to halt his second-term political momentum.

Trump took his first steps toward reining in Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency, telling a hastily convened Cabinet meeting that the Senate-confirmed agency heads will ultimately determine their departments’ staffing needs, not Musk. 

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