Elon Musk has been making waves through the federal government, and by the time you read this, who knows what bold move he’ll be making next. Perhaps he’ll be sitting behind the Resolute Desk with President Trump, both locked away in a broom closet.
Trump deserves to be in that closet, though, for the unchecked power he’s given Musk to shake up government functions. It’s an utterly irresponsible situation.
Watching Musk lead this agency-by-agency rush, ousting dedicated employees and demanding access to classified information, is nothing short of alarming.
There are two main reasons why this is so concerning: First, the authority granted to Musk is based on shaky legal grounds, at best. Second, even if it can somehow be legally justified, it’s reckless and dangerous to give that kind of power to someone with Musk’s track record.
Musk’s business history has always been suspect. He and his companies have faced dozens of lawsuits. The list is extensive: wrongful death claims related to unsafe Tesla vehicles, lawsuits over false advertising, unpaid bills, numerous allegations of racial discrimination, and accusations of excessive pay and possible illegal drug use on the job.
His potential conflicts of interest are staggering. Musk has deep commercial interests in China, which introduces significant security risks. He continues to attract intense scrutiny from the federal government—while simultaneously making billions off lucrative government contracts.
And let’s be honest—Musk doesn’t seem to have the temperament necessary to manage large-scale government operations and personnel. His behavior is frequently described as “erratic,” “unhinged,” and even symptomatic of PTSD. He has allegedly tried to pressure female employees into having children with him.
With control of one of the world’s largest platforms, X, Musk has used it to attack opponents and spread misinformation. His obsession with COVID has led him to push conspiracy theories and unfounded claims. This kind of recklessness could endanger lives.
Musk also seems to believe we’re all fools. Recently, he posted on X claiming his efforts represent “our one chance to return power to the people from an unelected bureaucracy back to democracy!” Never mind the fact that Musk himself is unelected.
On the bright side, Musk’s time in Trump’s good graces is likely to be short-lived. Trump tends to lose interest in anyone who isn’t part of his immediate family.
But we can’t afford to just wait for that to happen. We need to stand up against this attack on our values and laws. Thankfully, Musk’s outrageous actions are galvanizing Democrats in Congress.
Just last week, Democratic leaders introduced legislation to block “unlawful access” to Treasury Department payment systems. Senators have pledged to oppose Trump’s executive branch nominees and will do everything they can to slow down the confirmation process.
More than 110 organizations, including mine, signed a letter urging both Republican and Democratic leaders in Congress to investigate Musk and his so-called Department of Government Efficiency.
Congress has both the right and the responsibility to fulfill its oversight role and protect its constitutional power over federal spending.
If the Republican majority lacks the courage to hold hearings, Democrats should proceed on their own. Even as the minority party, they still wield significant power to capture media attention and influence public opinion.
We’re also seeing a surge of lawsuits and public protests in response to DOGE’s activities. This pushback seems to be making an impact; the Trump administration has already said it’s scaling back some of the access granted to DOGE.
In other words, we do have tools to safeguard our democracy and society. Yes, our power is currently limited, but we are far from powerless.
And here’s the final point: Time is running out as we approach the midterms. Voters will be ready to hold the Trump-Musk alliance accountable at the ballot box—if we show them just how much damage this duo is causing at every turn.
Fortunately, that won’t be hard to do.
