Elon Musk, tariff and tension - takeaways from Trump first cabinet meeting

Donald Trump hold im first cabinet meeting for White House on Wednesday, im turn di occasion into an extended question-and-answer session wey last for more dan an hour.

Im speak alongside im cabinet - and billionaire Elon Musk, wear im "tech support" T-shirt - Trump cover a wide range of topics, from di so-called Department of Goment Efficiency (Doge) efforts to cut goment spending to immigration, di economy and di war for Ukraine.

Dis na six takeaways from di meeting.

1. Trump praise Rubio and Musk

Tori pipo ask Trump which goment department - and, by extension, which cabinet members – dey resist im policy changes well-well.

"So far, I dey happy with all of those choices," im tok.

Im add say, however, e say "some groups dey much easier dan odas", specifically e praise di work wey Elon Musk dey do – Musk no be cabinet member - and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Im administration dey focus on "cutting down di size of goment, we need to", im add.

"We wan get a balanced budget within a reasonably short period of time... e mean maybe by next year or maybe di year after," Trump tok.

2. ...and e address potential cabinet tensions

Trump publicly - and repeatedly – support Elon Musk work and Doge, wey get di task of slashing goment spending and di federal workforce.

Di president look to calm any speculation of tension between Musk and di rest of im team.

"Dem get a lot of respect for Elon and im dey do dis, and some pipo disagree a little bit," Trump tok. "But I go tell you for di most part say everybody no only dey happy, dem dey thrilled."

"If no be so, I go want dem to speak up," im add.

At one point, dem ask Trump whether any cabinet member don express dia dissatisfaction wit Musk im turn to di room to ask dem. Nobody speak.

Musk also defend Doge, e call am a "support function" for goment agencies to rid themselves of fraud.

Im acknowledge, however, say im go make mistakes, and note say im accidentally cancel Ebola prevention efforts bifor im put am back again.

"But wen we make mistakes we go fix am quick - quick," Musk tok.

3. E cut warning to federal workers

Di president also address Musk email to federal employees wia e ask dem to list five things wey dem do last week or risk losing dia jobs, e say di cabinet dey "very much behind" di initiative.

Trump bin speculate without evidence say some of di approximately one million federal workers wey neva respond to di email maybe "no exist".

"Maybe dem dey go," im add.

"We dey try to figure out who those pipo be wey neva respond," Trump add. "We dey a little more careful for dis situations wia pipo dey do classified stuff."

Trump also say im dey encourage cabinet members to "do dia own Doge" for dia respective agencies.

Im also suggest say di Environmental Protection Agency, wey dey led by Lee Zeldin, fit lose as much as 65% of dia workforce.

4. Memo tok about further staff reduction

Later in di day, dem send one memo to federal agencies asking dem to submit plans for "a significant reduction" for dia staff by 13 March.

Im ask agencies to provide a list of employees wey dem feel say no dey essential. Di memo also request say make future hiring dey limited to one position for every four pipo wey dem let go.

Dis layoffs go dey in addition to those wey Doge don already take, mainly probationary workers. Multiple US outlets don report say dem don let go of nearly 10,000 federal workers across several agencies earlier dis month.

Dat figure na in addition to di estimated 75,000 workers wey don accept di offer from White House to leave voluntarily for autumn.

Wednesday memo represent anoda step for Doge efforts to further cut down di size of US government.

Pipo wey no dey part of dis action, however, na positions for law enforcement, border security, immigration enforcement and military.

5. Trump confam Zelensky visit

Trump confam say Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky go visit di White House on Friday - something dem bin previously suggest.

Trump say di visit go see di US and Ukraine sign an expansive minerals deal, although di koko of dat agreement still remain unclear.

Im say di deal go allow di US to "get our money back" for di assistance wey dem give Ukraine for di three years since di Russia invasion.

"We go get a lot of money for future, and I feel say e dey appropriate, becos we get taxpayers we no suppose dey foot di bill," im tok. "all dey worked out."

Zelensky describe di bilateral deal as initial one, and add say im want further agreements wey include US security guarantees to stop renewed Russian aggression.

Dem ask am about security guarantees for Ukraine for future, Trump say U no go provide any, im argue say di burden suppose fall to Europe.

6. And e say EU tariffs dey come 'very soon'

Trump say im dey plan to hit goods wey dey made for European Union wit tariffs of 25%.

"We go announce am very soon," im tell tori pipo wey gada. "E go be 25% generally speaking and dat go be on cars and all oda tins."

"Dem dey really take advantage of us," Trump tok of EU. "Dem no dey accept our cars. Dem no dey accept essentially our farm products. Dem dey use all sorts of reasons why not."

Dem ask Trump if im still get plans on implementing tariffs on Canada and Mexico despite di significant drop in detentions of illegal migrants for di southern border and Canada plan to increase border protection.

On 4 February, Trump suddenly agree to match break on imposing 25% tariffs on both kontris for 30 days, e pull di three kontris back from sometin wey sabi pipo say for be a potentially damaging trade war.

Di date Trump bin cite appear to be an extension of dat timeframe.

"April 2, di tariffs go go on," im tok. "No be for all of dem but a lot of dem. And I feel say e dey amazing."