In the midst of a previously unthinkable reform of US national authorities, which has given the Tesla CEO incredible control over state businesses, Democrats are focusing their political attacks on billionaire Elon Musk, not President Trump.
The backlash follows Musk’s rapid moves as head of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency ( DOGE ), which has been aggressively taking over federal functions, including the treasury department’s payment systems, the US Agency for International Development ( USAID), and potentially the education department.
At a fiery rally outside the treasury department headquarters, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass ) declared,” In the building behind me, Elon Musk is seizing power from the American people. We are here to combat back”.
Warren accused Musk of “deciding whether every military center operates according to his wishes,” “deciding whether every path maintenance in America goes forth, whether every Head Start facility opens, and whether every military center operates according to his desires.”
Protesters held signs reading” Nothing Elected Elon”, underscoring the uneasiness about Musk’s unchecked power in Washington.
Why it concerns
- The rise in Musk’s control is a fundamental change in how the federal state functions. Democrats and guardian groups have been alarmed by his ability to bypass agencies, block government programs, and entry sizable amounts of national data without being elected or confirmed by Congress.
- The most recent battlefield was caused by DOGE’s recent gain of direct entry to a Treasury program, which processes trillions of dollars in government payments periodically, igniting rumors that Musk’s team might change or halt federal payments.
- Additionally, USAID, a major company of international humanitarian aid, has been effectively shut down by Musk’s supporters, raising questions about whether Musk is dismantling US influence in favor of an” America First” plan.
- DoGE is currently enquiring about a law that would significantly reduce national oversight of public knowledge.
What they are saying
- Liberals are scrambling to thwart Musk’s growing control, contending that the true power in Washington is now in the arms of a single appointed billionaire rather than Trump or the electorate’s electorate.
- As per a Politico report, Rep Don Beyer (D-Va ) framed Musk as the perfect political foil, saying,” He’s a good villain. He makes it so simple because he shows such contempt for other individuals. You know there’s no emotion, there’s no feeling of trying to help citizens”.
- Rep Jared Golden (D-Maine ), a centrist representing a Trump-friendly district, took an even sharper tone, tweeting:” My constituents, and a majority of this country, put Trump in the White House—not this unelected, weirdo billionaire“.
- Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii ) vowed to halt all nominees for the Trump State Department until the administration reverses its position on USAID.
- Democrats are raising alarm, but Musk’s supporters assert that the electorate wanted precisely what Musk’s extreme shake-up of Washington did.
- Trump, speaking to reporters, defended Musk’s broad power, saying:” Appearance, he’s done a great job. Look at all the scam that he discovered in this USAID. It’s a devastation”.
- JD Vance, the vice president, echoed Trump’s position, saying that voters “wanted to see Elon Musk stop wasting money in our authorities.”
- According to Don Moynihan, a professor at the Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan,” Americans are witnessing an unusual centralization of power in someone who lacks a top-level security clearance and has not been subject to any Senate confirmation process.” ” Musk has extraordinary and unified command of the basic wiring of state”, he added.
Elon doesn’t do and didn’t do anything without our approval, and we’ll provide him the approval, where appropriate, where certainly acceptable, we didn’t. But he comes in.
Donald Trump
Between the lines
- Musk’s takeover of crucial government operations is in line with Trump’s long-standing campaign promise to abolish the so-called “deep state,” which the president has frequently characterized as destroying.
- Musk has taken on a quasi-official role in the administration, serving as a” special government employee”, which allows him to work at the White House for 130 days without filing the same financial disclosures as full-time officials.
- His direct access to the Office of Personnel Management ( OPM), which has resulted in a number of emails urging federal employees to accept “deferred resignation” offers, which is eerie in comparison to the mass layoffs at Twitter in 2022.
- Reports suggest that some federal employees ‘ agency email accounts have already been locked out, causing more chaos in the organization.
- Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers have largely rallied behind Musk and DOGE, dismissing Democratic concerns as hysterical overreactions.
- Rep Darrell Issa (R-Calif ) mocked the outrage, asking on X:” Is it just me, or are Democrats not ready for our side winning so much”?
- Sen Tom Cotton (R-Ark ), a leading defense hawk, suggested that Musk’s takeover was long overdue, saying:” If Democrats had spent more time cutting waste and less time complaining about billionaires, we wouldn’t be in this position”.
Those of us who have worked at Elon’s companies can see his footprints everywhere there is currently federal government activity. It’s a very seat-of-the-pants affair with Elon’s loyalists scrambling to execute his every whim and desire as fast as possible
Thomas Moline, a former SpaceX senior avionics engineer, told Reuters
What’s next
- Democrats are scrambling for ways to curtail Musk’s power, but their options are limited.
- House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer are weighing whether to use routine government funding bills as a means of influencing DOGE changes.
- Although legal experts predict such lawsuits could take months or even years to develop, some Democrats are even considering filing lawsuits to challenge Musk’s control of USAID and other organizations.
- Governor Gavin Newsom of California warned that Musk’s unchecked authority over federal operations could soon have an impact on state-run programs, particularly in those relating to transportation and energy policy, and state-level Democratic leaders have also begun to raise the alarm.
- Meanwhile, Musk himself remains openly defiant in the face of mounting opposition.
- He criticized Democratic criticism on X ( previously Twitter ) as an attempt to “protect the radical-left shadow government that has been looting taxpayers for decades.”
- DOGE officials are reportedly developing AI-based tools to identify and eliminate so-called “wasteful spending” across the federal government, but they are still moving at a breakneck pace.
- Although it’s not clear whether such proposals would have legal support, some reports suggest that Musk even considered privatizing some government functions.
The bottom line
- Elon Musk has redrawn the lines in American politics and gained the most powerful unelected position in Washington.
- For Democrats, he is the new face of unchecked corporate power, wielding more influence than many Cabinet secretaries.
- For Trump and his allies, he is a disruptor, a billionaire warrior battling an entrenched bureaucracy that they argue has resisted Trump’s agenda for years.
- For federal workers, Musk represents an existential threat, as his cost-cutting vision of government could mean thousands of layoffs, abrupt policy shifts, and a radical transformation of how Washington functions.
- As the fight over Musk’s role escalates, one thing is clear: Trump may be the president, but it’s Musk who appears to be pulling the strings in Washington.
( With inputs from agencies )
