I’m not freaking out about the Musk cabinet blowup

It’s good: it’s called governing. Trump should do it more.

The media is freaking out over President Donald Trump calling a cabinet meeting and telling his agency heads that they don’t work for Elon Musk. It was a private meeting but of course it leaked within thirty seconds.

The account I read earlier had a private meeting between Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Musk devolving into a shouting match. The president reportedly sat with his arms crossed while Rubio aired his grievances with Musk, who responded with insults.

Then Trump did something that successful leaders do. He told them to get along. He told Rubio that he reported to the president, not to Musk. To bring the point home, he convened an in-person cabinet meeting, and told all of them they didn’t work for Musk or DOGE, and that DOGE acts in an advisory role.

It was time to put Musk, whose manic episodes are legendary, back in his box. Musk agreed that his role is as an adviser, in front of Trump’s cabinet. It was reported that Musk also agreed he might have been a tad too aggressive. I’m not sure if that was done in the group or just to Trump and Rubio.

The media is classifying this as a “blow up” and advancing all kinds of “walls closing in” arguments of how the Trump administration is falling apart. But I don’t see how that follows.

Every organization has these kinds of conflicts. And people like Musk, who are known for their ego and single-minded tunnel vision, tend to get way, way, out of their lane. Nobody really knows what Musk’s lane was to begin with. Trump let Musk have his manic episode, and attract media attention. Then he asserted management control again.

If it wasn’t Donald Trump doing it, most people would call that management, or governing. I’m not saying that Trump is a good manager, or skillful at governing. He isn’t. But he does have an instinct for letting certain people do their thing, and then asserting control when it gets crazy (crazier than his baseline crazy, that is).

The difference here from his first term is that Trump’s cabinet is hand-picked to be loyal to him, so they won’t scream too loud when Trump does govern them. And Musk, he might take his ball and go home, but probably not, at least not right away.

In any case, even if Trump doesn’t manage or govern in a useful way 99% of the time, this time, he did. He did what any competent manager would do faced with an overreaching messiah-complex adviser who wants to take over. Privately let the grievances air, then assert control. And to make it stick, bring all together and tell them how it is. That how effective teams get on the same page. I wish Trump would do it more.

Like I said, if it was anyone but Trump, the media would be praising good governing instead of crowing about blow-ups. I don’t blame them, because you go with the 99%. I just don’t buy it this time.