Elon Musk is on a tear through the federal government, and by the time you read this, who knows what he could be up to. He could be sitting at the Resolute Desk with President Trump locked in a broom closet.
Trump would deserve it, because the free rein he has given Musk to upend government functions is inexcusable.
Watching Musk lead an agency-by-agency stampede, displacing dedicated workers and demanding access to the most sensitive information, is a horror show.
And there are two reasons for this: One is that the authority he’s been given is on extremely shaky legal ground, at best; the other is that even if it can somehow be legally justified, it is incredibly damaging and reckless to give this power to someone with a record like Musk’s.
Musk’s business dealings have always been highly suspect. He and his businesses have been sued dozens of times. The list is mind-boggling: wrongful death suits related to unsafe Tesla vehicles, suits over false advertising and unpaid bills, numerous lawsuits alleging racial discrimination and suits targeting Musk’s exorbitant pay and alleged illegal drug use on the job.
His potential conflicts of interest are countless. He has extensive commercial interests in China, which also poses a security risk. His businesses have attracted and continue to attract intense regulatory scrutiny from the federal government he wants to control, while at the same time, he is making billions from lucrative contracts with that same federal government.
And, to put it politely, he seems to lack the temperament to manage vast government resources and personnel. His behavior is described as “nutty,” “deeply unwell” and characteristic of PTSD. He has reportedly tried to pressure women who work for him to have children with him.
Musk has command of one of the world’s biggest megaphones, his X social platform, which he uses to attack people and spread lies. One of his biggest obsessions is COVID; for years, he has spread conspiracy theories and misinformation about the virus. That kind of recklessness can cost lives.
Musk also seems to think the rest of us are not very smart. Recently he posted on X that his efforts are our “one chance to return power to the people from an unelected bureaucracy back to democracy!” We’re not supposed to notice that he is, in fact, unelected.
The good news, if there is any, is that Musk’s time in Trump’s good graces will probably be short. Trump will get tired of him the same way he gets tired of everybody who’s not in his immediate family.
But we can’t wait him out. We have to fight this all-out assault on our values and our laws, and fortunately, Musk’s outrageous behavior is lighting a fresh fire under Democrats in Congress.
Last week, Democratic leadership introduced legislation to block “unlawful access” to Treasury Department payment systems. Senators also vowed to protest by opposing Trump executive branch nominees and doing everything they can to slow down the confirmation process.
Congress has a right and responsibility to fulfill its oversight role here and to protect its own constitutional spending power.
And if the Republican majority doesn’t have the courage to hold hearings, then Democrats should go ahead without them. Minority-party investigations can still be a potent tool for focusing media attention and shaping voter opinion.
We’re also seeing an avalanche of lawsuits in response to DOGE activities, as well as furious public protests. This is good because it seems to be working; the Trump administration says it’s curtailing some of the access given to DOGE.
In other words, we do have tools to protect our society and democracy. Yes, we have limitations right now. But we are not powerless.
And there’s one more thing: The clock is ticking very quickly toward the midterms. Voters will be primed to punish the outrageous Trump-Musk overreach at the ballot box if we show them the damage this wrecking crew is doing at every turn.
Fortunately for us, that won’t be difficult.
Svante Myrick is president of People for the American Way.
