Special adviser showed instinctive feel for authoritarianism as he addressed the president’s first full cabinet meetingOn Tuesday, just over a mile from the White House, the classicist Mary Beard spoke to an audience about Roman emperors. “An autocrat is somebody who kills you when he’s being his most generous,” she remarked. “You go to dinner, you think, wow, this is wonderful! But the generosity of the autocrat is always potentially lethal.”On Wednesday, Donald Trump held his first full cabinet meeting. The mood was warm and convivial and, some might say, generous. Housing secretary Scott Turner offered a prayer that included: “Thank you, God, for President Trump.” Continue reading...
Donald Trump's first full cabinet meeting featured Elon Musk, who was invited to speak before any cabinet secretaries. Housing Secretary Scott Turner prayed, thanking God for Trump, and the meeting was described as an assembly of loyalists. Musk, leading the "department of government efficiency" (Doge), acknowledged potential mistakes but promised swift corrections. Trump, seeking approval, asked if anyone was unhappy with Musk, prompting nervous laughter and applause. Trump later praised the cabinet as the best ever, though it included controversial figures like Pete Hegseth and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Trump criticized the country as bloated and incompetent, reflecting a critical view of the meeting and its participants.
