In January 20th’s Executive Order 14158, President Donald Trump announced the creation of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), with the stated goal of “modernizing Federal technology and software to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity.” He then appointed Tesla CEO and billionaire Elon Musk to run it.
Constitutionally, since no bill has been passed by both houses of congress pertaining to DOGE’s creation and no hearings or votes have been held to confirm Musk’s appointment, the body and Elon’s authority in government officially do not exist. However, as we will see, this fact has been continuously disregarded by the White House and Elon himself, evidencing a lack of interest in respecting the guidance of our constitution and its checks and balances.
Silent Seizure
Since January, Musk has filled the ranks of his unapproved department with members who have followed him from previous jobs within Musk-owned companies such as X and Tesla. What’s rather disconcerting – nay, extremely alarming – is that many of these individuals, some ages 19 to 24, lack the experience and the credibility that is needed for federal jobs of this caliber. Sources say that these young tech guys are now in control of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the General Services Administration (GSA). Word has also gotten out that Elon and his partners have acquired access to confidential and classified information on the Treasury Department’s system of payment and the US Agency for International Development.
The dangerous result of this is that unelected and unapproved individuals, including a foreign-born billionaire, have infiltrated the government’s framework and acquired our private information. With possession of the OPM and the GSA, they now control the power to hire and terminate hordes of federal workers – everyone from National Park rangers and USPS employees to average government agency workers; in other words, the people who keep the government and our country running on a day-to-day basis. Also in DOGE’s hands is the confidential information of citizens and businesses alike, including social security numbers, sensitive tax information, and more.
The unsettling reality is that there still stands an enormous lack of clarity as to the true extent of the power this fledgling department has amassed. With the murkiness of DOGE’s power and the questionable nature of its authority, there is a lot that we simply don’t know yet. But judging by what we have already heard, what is under the surface may be even worse than what has floated to the top.
As we can see, there has been very little transparency and accountability as to what is really going on with our government agencies in Washington. So much so that our own congresspeople, too, have been left in the dark as to just how much power and confidential information Elon Musk has taken. In the past weeks, many Democratic congressmembers have rallied at government agency buildings in D.C. to protest Elon’s dubious tactics and demand answers, to no avail. They were denied entry at the door and denied the explanations they, and by extension, their constituents, deserve.
All Hell Breaks Loose
Starting last week and continuing into this one, the effects of Elon’s takeover have been widely felt, with thousands of federal employees having already been terminated from their jobs in a supposed effort by DOGE to reduce the government’s size and somehow paradoxically improve efficiency. Also, many agencies’ funds have been cut and a freeze on hiring new officials has been enacted. Much of this has to do with Trump’s tax plan, which involves the cutting of federal taxes for the ultra-rich like Musk. The plan, while ignoring the issue of wealth inequality in this country, leaves the government with the dilemma of how to make up the funds that now remain in the already lofty pockets of billionaires. One way they hope to solve this problem is by cutting back the size of the government, which is DOGE’s very directive here.
While the figures are still unclear, it is known that up to ten thousand federal workers have lost their jobs. About 100 employees at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, roughly 2,000 Department of Energy staff, at least 338 Environmental Protection Agency workers, 1,300 members at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 10% of the US Forestry Service’s staff, and over 2,300 National Park Service members have been laid off already. While a few judges have put a pause of these mass firings, many more have signaled the ok.
It is likely that, to Trump and Musk, this is only the beginning. What we are seeing now will be the start of a ripple effect that, starting with staff shortages which are already being felt in places like busy Yosemite National Park, will lead to the weakening of our government and its ability to do its vital work to protect its citizens and its land.
In the midst of this chaos, it cannot be overstated the sheer importance of the federal agencies that are now being weakened, such as the CDC, which was a lifesaving asset during the COVID-19 pandemic. It should again become vital in our response to the developing bird flu, a disease that has already seen 68 cases in the United States since 2024. In addition to the CDC, the EPA plays a pivotal and standalone role in protecting the environment and by association, all Americans benefited by it, from abuse. Likewise, the CFPB does the same financially for consumers, making sure that all people are protected from unfair banking tactics and malpractice on behalf of companies, which include those of Elon Musk. The National Park Service, also a target, preserves our nation’s natural and historic beauty for future generations to come. This is what is on the chopping block.
Welfare and Regulation as Lifelines
By now, it is clear that Musk’s idea of “straightening out the government” is really a polished way to describe the erosion of our welfare and protection systems and the removal of the workers who run them. In addition to the actions described above, Trump and Musk have hinted at and reveled in the idea of cutting social security, medicare, and medicaid, three programs that assist a wide range of temporarily and permanently disadvantaged groups like the elderly, disabled workers, wounded veterans, low-income families, and single parents and their children. These programs work to provide medical, financial, and material aid – albeit not enough – to the people who need it the most
While every instance is unique, most of these recipients, like the elderly, have worked their whole lives paying into this system to receive their benefits later in life. Others have bravely donated their services and risked their lives for this country in many ways. And many more have been too beaten down by financial hardship and lack the resources to get back up again. This is where these programs step in.
Recently, however, in comments on X, Elon Musk has negatively referred to these individuals as the “parasite class.” Now imagine calling grandpa a parasite because he’s put in the money to social security to be able to retire and not remain stuck working into his nineties. Better yet, imagine telling little 9-year-old Susie whose father died to pull herself up by her bootstraps, stop being parasitic, and provide for herself. This is the insanity of calling those receiving welfare payments “parasites.” And the thing is, however much right-wing and reactionary groups want to paint it, social programs like welfare and the federal protections for consumers and workers – average people like us – is a positive and time-tested thing – something that has been fought hard for and won.
Mainly starting in the New Deal Era of the Great Depression, when President Franklin Roosevelt expanded the size of the government, numerous new agencies were created. While some served their purpose in a time-limited fashion and passed on, many of these agencies have endured to this day. And this is for a good reason – because they mean something and serve a purpose for the American people. But now they are being thrown into chaos and manipulated into dysfunction, with disastrous results.
Close to home, in the possible absence of these agencies, there will be no one to assist afflicted people when they are let down by our economic system at large. Perhaps you need a FAFSA loan to pay for your education and to achieve a better future. Perhaps your family can’t afford enough food on minimum wage, and although working multiple jobs, relies on food stamps. Or perhaps you cannot afford the egregious cost of healthcare insurance in the country and rely on medicaid to get the urgent treatment you or your loved ones need. All of these support systems and safety nets will be seriously crippled, or worse yet, gone in their entirety. Say “Sayonara!”
This is the gravity of the situation and the fallout to come. If we think of the financially vulnerable as the weakest links in our system, neglecting the agencies that keep them going is only to put more unmanageable strain on our weak points, making all the more inevitable a break in our chain and a collapse of our system as a whole.
Musk’s Motives
Any point he is trying to make by disparaging those receiving social welfare is undercut by the little-known fact that such a system exists for corporations – and Elon Musk too. Routinely, the federal government assists corporations when they are in a bind, offering services, such as loans, subsidies, and tax incentives to rescue big business. Since 2008, for instance, the companies in Musk’s hands have been awarded over $21 million dollars from the federal government. Add to this the fact that through SpaceX contracts with the government, Musk receives about 8 million a day from taxpayer dollars. While it’s safe to say he’s not unhappy with this arrangement, god forbid this country assist struggling people, whose choices are often life or death, when they are in a pinch. This is the extent of his hypocrisy.
It is also imperative to note that without programs and regulating agencies like these, there is nothing in the way to stop private businesses and large corporations, like insurance and tech companies, from scamming and violating the privacy of consumers, exploiting workers, and generally charging citizens whatever they feel like to maximize profits. Even with these agencies functioning, we’ve already seen this capitalistic pattern occurring. Now imagine what corporations could get away with without them in the way. Understanding this fact leads us to the real motivation behind Elon’s attacks. Naturally, Musk, a billionaire who owns several large companies, has a big stake in the defunding and stripping of government agencies because doing so would unleash a profit-making frenzy for him. He has such a large stake, in fact, that he chose to take the hands-on approach we are now seeing, the extent of which has never before been allowed by a billionaire. This frenzy would come at the expense of the little people – this country’s citizens, but this is not so important to him.
The best way to think of the state of DOGE and our government is to imagine putting Death in charge of keeping you alive. In this situation, the person who has the most to gain and the most interest in seeing you die is the same person who is in charge of your survival. So it is in real life: that the man who has the most profit to gain from weakening consumer protections, welfare, and regulation towards companies like his own is also now in charge of a government whose job it is to perform those tasks. It is simply a blatant, yet consequential conflict of interest.
From Within
As the days go by and more diligent public servants are purged, it becomes more apparent that Elon Musk is latching on to the federal government. Mirroring the very definition of a parasite, he is using the Trump administration and DOGE to dismantle his host – our democracy – from the inside.
However, as it goes for many parasites, perhaps the light of day will be enough to end Elon’s stay in Washington. And for this to occur, an informed, educated, and up-to-date public is key. Until then, the people will observe leadership that is at odds with their own needs, dreams, hopes, and interests.
