The Great Elon Musk, mastermind behind Tesla, SpaceX, and now X, needs no introduction. His impressive resume lies in revolutionizing electric cars through Tesla and of course, revolutionizing Twitter by renaming it X. It was just what the world needed. From a Silicon Valley entrepreneur turned to a Silicon Valley Monarch, making headlines is just so effortless for him. But see, his accomplishments don’t end there. It seems like being the world’s richest man on the planet became too boring for him. I guess having all the money in the world doesn’t make one content because Musk has certainly taken deep interest in the already messy world of U.S. politics. It seems as though he was just what we needed to save our democracy because Musk, with his infinite wisdom and expertise, can solve the American people’s most pressing problems.
The Unofficial Government Agency No One Wanted
One genius way to do that is through the creation of DOGE, also known as the unofficial Department of Government Efficiency, led by none other than Elon Musk. President Trump established this “department” through an executive order on January 20, 2025, appointing Musk to lead its initiatives. According to the official White House statement, the purpose of this executive order is to “restore accountability to the American public… By eliminating waste, bloat, and insularity, the Administration will empower American families, workers, taxpayers, and our system of Government itself.” This initiative sounds like a great move, right? American tax dollars will finally be regulated and handled with transparency! If our official agencies aren’t enough, then surely an unofficial department, led by an unelected “special” government employee will put an end to this long-standing corruption. But let’s take a closer examination of what the department has actually executed throughout the past couple of weeks to achieve its said objective:
First, DOGE, which works along with the Trump Administration, has enacted the dismantling of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The department funds humanitarian needs all over the world towards projects to combat and aid global health crises, food insecurity, malnutrition, emergency disaster relief, and more. Dismantling USAID, especially at a very rapid pace, directly affects millions of vulnerable people. Yet on Twitter, Musk called USAID a “criminal organization” and said “it’s time for it to die.” This guy clearly has it out for the organization in which many of its efforts contribute towards supporting the most sensitive areas in the world, including Ukraine, one of the largest recipients of USAID funding. This is not a shallow issue– the organization already operates in 130 countries, with over 10,000 staff members. Currently, the long-term status of USAID is unclear. A federal judge has put a temporary restraining order blocking the plan to place 2,200 USAID employees on administrative leave. However, right now, USAID’s facilities are closed down and its website and social media accounts have been deactivated as well.
Then, on January 31, Trump-Appointed US Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent granted Elon Musk and DOGE officials access to the Treasury Department’s payment system. This system processes $6 trillion annually from federal agencies and personal American taxpayer data including social security, tax refunds, and other highly sensitive information. Notably, this decision was granted after a top Treasury official, David Lebrynk, reportedly fought to resist DOGE access. He was put on administrative leave, and shortly thereafter, he suddenly resigned. DOGE’s stated objective of this was to “identify and eliminate wasteful government spending”, yet the Treasury Department already has a team dedicated to detecting fraud. What’s more concerning is that Musk is aggressively pushing for this agenda of eliminating wasteful spending and fraud, when ironically (but not surprisingly), he has massive conflicts of interest as the recipient of large amounts of government contracts. And have we mentioned he has 0 government experience? Fortunately, a federal judge has issued temporary halts to this access. This order was initiated by a lawsuit brought by 19 state attorney generals saying that DOGE violated federal law, created security risks, and opened up the possibility that those with improper access to data could initiate illegal freezes on federal funds. This is still an ongoing investigation, and further details about this block and the USAID block await.
The Contrast Between Musk’s Advocacy vs. His Actions
What I’ve covered so far just touches the surface. Surely, by the time this article is published, more actions will be carried out under DOGE’s agenda. The amount of chaos emitted by the chain events, not only from Musk’s orders, but also by the executive orders of the current administration, and the lawsuits that follow, cannot be understated. It’s been a struggle to keep up, deciphering what’s legal or not, and why so many orders are being pushed out this fast. It’s hard to even process one event without another reaching for our attention. So let’s fan out and focus on the big picture here.
Why is Elon Musk, of all people, suddenly trying to “advocate” for American citizens? His tweets insist he’s doing this for the American people, but his actions unequivocally don’t match his words. And I don’t just mean DOGE’s latest orders. I hope no one has already forgotten what occurred during President Trump’s Inauguration celebration. At the event, Musk gave a speech, addressing an audience of Trump supporters at the Capital One Arena, thanking them for “making it happen”. In a “show” of gratitude, he placed his right hand over his chest and then extended his entire right arm outward in a diagonal motion–twice. “My heart goes out to you,” he said, repeating the gesture. The media burst with outrage. The motion unmistakably mirrored a Nazi salute, a gesture historically tied to fascist leaders like Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini. Musk’s minions rushed to his defense, insisting it was just an expression of gratitude. Meanwhile, many critics such as Ben Samuels, a writer for Haaretz, an Israeli newspaper described it as Musk delivering “a Roman salute, a fascist salute most commonly associated with Nazi Germany”. This event only intensified his backlash when weeks prior, Musk publicly endorsed a far-right political group in Germany for their upcoming elections.
A picture is being painted here. It’s certainly not finished (and hopefully never will be), but the sketches are evident. Elon Musk has accumulated so much wealth that his future generations of his descendants wouldn’t even be able to spend it all. Speculations state that –like other billionaires– he simply just wants more money to maintain his position as the world’s richest man. However, his empires, Tesla, SpaceX, and even Starlink, all rely heavily on government funding and DOGE’s objective of “eliminating wasteful government spending” conveniently spares the government contracts that benefit his own businesses. Therefore, it’s unlikely that he’s extending extra limbs just for more money to feed his greed.
A Man Out Of Touch
Musk has always positioned himself as an outsider, a visionary different from all of society. His takeover of Twitter, now X, didn’t even benefit him financially. However, it was a great investment in something more valuable to him: the ability to control the flow of information. Imagine needing to buy a whole platform just to get people to listen to you. His increasing involvement in U.S. politics shows he’s not content with just running successful businesses, but it reveals his desire for unrestrained power. He doesn’t just want wealth. He wants to be seen as the most important person in history, the one who “saves” humanity, selling himself as the ultimate genius. Of course, Elon’s intelligence and tenacity cannot be denied. Tesla and all his companies aren’t successful for no reason. However, he continuously pushes the bounds of the law to test the limits of his power. All the while, everyone else suffers from his attempt to override power structures that dangerously pose a striking threat to our democracy.
Some champion Musk, defending that he advocates for free speech and giving people a voice, but the reality is that his actions only serve his own interests. He claims to be making conversations more open, but clearly, his version of free speech exacerbates misinformation and silences dissent wherever it threatens his influence. Absolute control. We as a society have a dangerous tendency to idolize billionaires and misconceive their selfish ambitions for philanthropic stunts. But let’s be real. Elon Musk, like his tax-evading friends, benefit from a system corrupted to protect them, the ultra-wealthy class. The wealth gap continues to expand because they have manipulated systems to ensure they never have to play by the same rules as the rest of us. When Musk claims to all of a sudden be working for the American people, it’s nothing more than a part of his “genius” playbook. Whether he intends to dismantle the bureaucracy into a fascist, all-hail-Elon-Musk system or genuinely wants to serve the government, the truth remains: he has no real connection to the struggles of the average American. There’s no sympathy for those living paycheck to paycheck, and with all that wealth amassed, he couldn’t care less. How can someone who doesn’t understand the realities of everyday Americans represent us? At the end of the day, billionaire priorities will always be separate from the needs of “the rest of us.”
Sources:
DOGE:
- What is DOGE? Here’s what to know about Elon Musk’s latest cost-cutting efforts. – CBS News
- Are Americans paying attention to Musk and Trump’s DOGE? Here’s what people in Iowa had to say | AP News
- Who is part of Elon Musk’s DOGE and what are they doing? : NPR
- Implementing The President’s “Department of Government Efficiency” Workforce Optimization Initiative – The White House).
USAID & Breach of Treasury Department
- Musk Team’s Treasury Access Raises Security Fears, Despite Judge’s Ordered Halt – The New York Times
- Claims about USAID funding are spreading online. Many are not based on facts
- Elon Musk says President Donald Trump has ‘agreed’ USAID should be shut down
Other:
