Elon Musk's influence over the US government has grown exponentially since President Donald Trump took office, raising serious concerns about the unchecked power wielded by the world's richest man. Musk has taken control of the US Treasury's payments system, unilaterally shut down the USAID humanitarian agency, and played a role in removing top officials. Critics, particularly Democrats, accuse Musk and Trump of an unconstitutional power grab. While Trump insists Musk operates under his approval, the lack of transparency and Musk's rapid escalation of influence have sparked widespread alarm.
WASHINGTON, DC – Elon Musk has begun exerting significant influence over the US government, raising concerns about the unprecedented power that President Donald Trump has delegated to the world's richest man. The South African-born billionaire has taken control over the US Treasury's payments system, which manages trillions of dollars. He single-handedly announced the closure of the USAID humanitarian agency. He has also played a role in driving out top officials.
For a man who often criticizes unelected bureaucrats, the unelected SpaceX and Tesla tycoon has faced minimal accountability as he pushes Trump's agenda to shrink the US government. Trump attempted to downplay the issue on Monday when questioned about it in the Oval Office, saying, “Elon can’t do and won’t do anything without our approval.” “We’ll give him the approval where appropriate, where not appropriate we won’t. But he reports in,” insisted Trump. “It’s something that he feels very strongly about and I’m impressed.” Musk's powers have appeared almost boundless, leading to accusations by Democrats of an unconstitutional power grab by both him and his fellow business magnate, Trump. So far, Musk has not been registered as a federal employee or government official—although US media reported on Monday that he had now been registered as a “special government employee.” Critics point to the fact that Musk was the largest donor to Trump's victorious election campaign, contributing a quarter of a billion dollars. And while a cute cartoon dog initially adorned the website of Musk's “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE), its later replacement by a dollar sign in a gold circle underscored the focus. His young team of so-called “Doge Kids,” drawn from his own companies, dramatically seized control of the US Treasury Department's payments system and took key government positions. They have helped push a drive to encourage federal employees to take severance payments and resign, with an email that closely resembles a message sent to Twitter employees when Musk took over and later renamed the social network X. Musk personally announced that the massive USAID humanitarian agency would be “shutting down” during a live chat on X and branded it a “criminal organization.” A dramatic standoff reportedly ensued when Musk's aides demanded access to a secure room at USAID where classified information was held. There was a similar situation when a career Treasury official was reportedly put on administrative leave after refusing such access to aides. And the head of the Federal Aviation Administration stepped down on Inauguration Day after Musk had criticized the agency's oversight of rocket launches. Days later, Trump had to rush to appoint a new head after a deadly passenger jet crash in Washington. A controversy over a raised-arm salute by Musk on the day of Trump’s inauguration only added to the controversy. Trump insisted on Monday that “if there’s a conflict we won’t let him get near it”—but that did not calm critics. Democrats, who have been largely silent during Trump’s first shock-and-awe two weeks in power, began to mobilize against the latest Musk moves. Democrats on the US House Ways and Means Committee were holding an emergency call partly devoted to the issue. They have bitterly criticized DOGE as an unconstitutional attempt to exert presidential power over funds approved by Congress. “It’s like letting a tiger into the petting zoo and hoping for the best,” Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Monday. Speaking at a protest by USAID workers, Senator Chris Van Hollen said “this Elon Musk attempted takeover… will not stand.” Washington is however closely watching to see if the egos of two consummate showmen like Trump and Musk can survive in the same White House for long. Indeed, Musk is reportedly not in the same building, after being denied a West Wing office for his staff, and getting premises instead in the Eisenhower Building, a separate part of the White House complex.
ELON MUSK DONALD TRUMP USAID GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY POWER GRAB CONSTITUTIONALITY
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