No one saw Musk's DOGE rampage coming or its threat [View all]
By Carl P. Leubsdorf / The Dallas Morning News
Anyone who followed Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign and the detailed reporting about his plans could hardly have been surprised when he moved promptly to stem illegal immigration and punish perceived political enemies.
But the fact that his new administration has moved far more quickly and far more extensively to shutter or remake large portions of the central government stems largely from a less anticipated factor: the emergence of billionaire Elon Musk as a one-man wrecking crew, acting without significant political or legal restraint.
Trump may be issuing dozens of questionable edicts, but Musk is running with them; and, in some cases, going beyond them. He is forcing thousands of government employees out of their jobs to halt programs they manage without the required congressional approval, spawning both chaos and dozens of court cases.
Six months ago, the once-and-future president had not even met the South African-born entrepreneur who became the world’s richest man as the manufacturer of Tesla electric cars and the purchaser of the social media site X, formerly known as Twitter. Like others in Trump’s orbit, he had once been critical of him.
https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/comment-no-one-saw-musks-doge-rampage-coming-or-its-threat/
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