Watch: Musk attends Trump’s first cabinet meeting despite not being secretary

Watch as Donald Trump holds the first cabinet meeting of the term at the White House on Wednesday, 26 February, with Elon Musk in attendance despite the billionaire not being a cabinet secretary.

When asked during a briefing on Tuesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Mr Musk would be present.

Mr Musk, who is leading the Department of Government Efficiency in dismantling federal agencies, will be there because he is working “alongside the president, our cabinet secretaries” and the “entire administration.”

He will talk to Trump’s cabinet “about DOGE’s efforts and how all of the cabinet secretaries are identifying waste, fraud and abuse at their respective agencies,” she added.

The cabinet traditionally includes the 15 department heads and the vice president but, when requested by the president, other officials can attend the meetings. Those officials typically include roles such as the president’s chief of staff.