Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Saudi Arabia on Monday ahead of expected U.S.-Russia talks there on ending Moscow's war on Ukraine, though Kyiv's representatives are not expected to take part.

In recent weeks, President Donald Trump and Elon Musk have taken steps to close it. The agency now faces the prospect of being folded into the State Department under the direction of Marco Rubio, the secretary of state.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to explain the department’s plan to purchase $400 million in armored Tesla Cybertruck vehicles, calling out tech billionaire Elon Musk’s “glaring conflict of interests.

The scene was familiar to anyone who has watched past presidential Cabinet meetings. Trump sat at the center of the table, flanked by Secretary of State Marco Rubio on his right and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on his left.

The president on Tuesday is holding his first Cabinet meeting, where Elon Musk will also be in attendance. Trump is now convening with his Cabinet for the first time in his second term. Seated next to Trump are Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

At the first cabinet meeting of his second term, President Trump asked Elon Musk to speak first. The man tasked with slashing the federal government spoke far more than anyone else, other than Mr. Trump.

Nahal Toosi is POLITICO’s senior foreign affairs correspondent. She has reported on war, genocide and political chaos in a career that has taken her around the world. Her reported column, Compass, delves into the decision-making of the global national security and foreign policy establishment — and the fallout that comes from it.

The State Department has declared several Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations, with Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) leader Elon Musk floating the idea of drone strikes