Donald Trump holds first cabinet meeting with Elon Musk in attendance

US President Donald Trump speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP)

US President Donald Trump was scheduled to hold the first meeting with his cabinet secretaries, with Elon Musk in attendance – highlighting his influence over the administration.

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said members of Mr Trump’s Cabinet would provide updates on their work at the meeting, which was scheduled to take place at 11am ET.

It comes a day after House Republicans sent a budget blueprint to passage, a step toward delivering Mr Trump’s “big, beautiful bill”.

Elon Musk speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (Jose Luis Magana/AP)

The bill includes $4.5tn in tax breaks and two trillion dollars in spending cuts, despite a wall of opposition from Democrats and discomfort among Republicans.

Also on Wednesday, agencies must develop plans to eliminate employee positions, according to a memo distributed by Mr Trump’s administration that sets in motion what could become a sweeping realignment of American government.

The memo expands the president’s effort to downsize the government workforce, which he has described as bloated and impediment to his agenda.

Thousands of probationary employees have already been fired, and now his administration is turning its attention to career officials with civil service protection.

Agencies are directed to submit by March 13 their plans for what is known as a reduction in force, which would not only lay off employees but eliminate the position altogether.

The result could be extensive changes in how government functions.