Zhi Zhu šŸ•øļøFeb 19, 2025

"Musk and his minions decided to summarily fire as many federal workers as they could without making any effort to find out what these workers do and whether itā€™s important."
- Paul Krugman

Here begins the 6th Elon Musk thread.

Previous threads:

1st: https://newsie.social/@ZhiZhu/113934284003400421

2nd: https://newsie.social/@ZhiZhu/113951618453636625

3rd: https://newsie.social/@ZhiZhu/113963233763918473

4th: https://newsie.social/@ZhiZhu/113980599958766875

5th: https://newsie.social/@ZhiZhu/114004086338314054

#ElonMusk #Musk #Coup #Corruption #Trump #Politics #USPol #News #USNews #US #USA

Zhi Zhu šŸ•øļø (@[email protected])

Attached: 1 image "A private citizen with zero Constitutional authority is effectively seizing control of critical government functions. šŸšØ The Constitution explicitly requires Senate confirmation for anyone wielding significant federal power ā€” a requirement Musk has simply ignored" https://www.techdirt.com/2025/01/31/elons-twitter-destruction-playbook-hits-the-us-government-and-its-even-more-dangerous/ Hereā€™s a thread with links to articles about the #ElonMusk takeover of the US #government. Is it a #coup? Will anyone stop it? #Oligarchy #Politics #USPol #Musk #Trump #GOP #News #USA #US #USNews

Newsie
Show threadZhi Zhu šŸ•øļøFeb 19, 2025

Burn it down

#Musk and #Trump Are Cutting Popular Programs. Thatā€™s Deliberate.

This is how you sever the positive relationship between people and governmentā€”ensuring thereā€™s nothing left to defend.
https://newrepublic.com/article/191573/musk-trump-freeze-ira-education-environment

"But why pick on so many of the most popular [govt programs]?

...their popularity is precisely what the #TrumpMusk administration dislikes about them. For anti-government ideologues, itā€™s important that people not have good experiences w/the #government"

#Coup #News #USA

Musk and Trump Are Cutting Popular Programs. Thatā€™s Deliberate.

This is how you sever the positive relationship between people and governmentā€”ensuring thereā€™s nothing left to defend.

The New Republic
Show threadZhi Zhu šŸ•øļøFeb 19, 2025

Top #SocialSecurity Official Leaves After #Musk Team Seeks Data Access

The departure of the acting commissioner is the latest backlash to #DOGE efforts to access sensitive data.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/17/us/politics/social-security-musk-team-access.html

"abrupt departure of a senior federal official who refused to provide Muskā€™s lieutenants with access to closely held #data. Muskā€™s team has been embedding with agencies across the federal #government & seeking access to private data"

#Privacy #ElonMusk #Coup #Trump #Politics #News #USA #US

Top Social Security Official Leaves After Musk Team Seeks Data Access

The departure of the acting commissioner is the latest backlash to the Department of Government Efficiencyā€™s efforts to access sensitive data.

The New York Times
Show threadZhi Zhu šŸ•øļøFeb 19, 2025

Top Social Security official steps down after disagreement with #DOGE over sensitive data
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/doge/top-social-security-official-steps-disagreement-doge-sensitive-data-rcna192530

"some of the #information involved in the dispute included #Americansā€™ bank information, #SocialSecurity numbers, earnings records, marital statuses, dates of birth &, in some cases, medical records if people have applied for disability benefits.

ā€œShe was replaced as acting commissioner because she would not give access to the sensitive informationā€"

#Musk #Coup #USPol #News #US

Top Social Security official steps down after disagreement with DOGE over sensitive data

Kingā€™s departure is the latest in a wave of exits from senior officials whose agencies have come into DOGEā€™s crosshairs.

NBC News
Show threadZhi Zhu šŸ•øļøFeb 19, 2025

Elon's fraud search exposed as a fraud

#DOGE is supposed to root out waste, fraud, & abuse-- but thus far, it's only served Elon Musk's personal interests
https://plus.briantylercohen.com/p/elons-fraud-search-exposed-as-a-fraud

"Elon starts off by dismantling one agency that just so happens to be investigating him, that costs barely anything to operate, that offers invaluable resources to the world, that affords us substantial soft power benefitsā€¦ & another agency whose entire purpose is to help victims of financial crimes"

#Musk #News #US

Elon's fraud search exposed as a fraud

DOGE is supposed to root out waste, fraud, and abuse-- but thus far, it's only served Elon Musk's personal interests.

Brian Tyler Cohen
Show threadZhi Zhu šŸ•øļøFeb 19, 2025

No, 150-Year-Olds Arenā€™t Collecting Social Security Benefits

#ElonMusk claims to have found rampant #fraud in the #SocialSecurity Administration. Thereā€™s a much simpler explanation.
https://www.wired.com/story/elon-musk-doge-social-security-150-year-old-benefits/

"weird quirk of the Social Security Administrationā€™s benefits system, which was largely written in COBOL, a 60-year-old programming language...

These systems default to the reference point [May 20, 1875] when a birth date is missing or incomplete"

#Musk #Coup #Trump #Politics #News #USA

No, 150-Year-Olds Arenā€™t Collecting Social Security Benefits

Elon Musk claims to have found rampant fraud in the Social Security Administration. Thereā€™s a much simpler explanation.

WIRED
Show threadZhi Zhu šŸ•øļøFeb 19, 2025

First IRS, Now DOGE Busts Its Way Into the Social Security Administration
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/doge-busts-its-way-into-social-security-administration

"DOGE demanding access to literally everybodyā€™s and every companiesā€™ #tax returns at the #IRS. It seems like they now have that access, though we donā€™t know that for certain. (Weā€™re basically entirely dependent on leaks since #DOGE works entirely in secret.) Now news just broke that the DOGErs appear to have busted their way into the #SocialSecurity Administration"

#Musk #Trump #GOP #Politics #US

First IRS, Now DOGE Busts Its Way Into the Social Security Administration

Hard to keep track of precisely whatā€™s happening at these different agencies....

TPM - Talking Points Memo
Show threadZhi Zhu šŸ•øļøFeb 19, 2025

Trump-Musk Threats Darken as Their Anger at Enemies Takes Ominous Turn

As Trump & #ElonMusk signal menacing new intentions on numerous fronts, a scholar of democratic breakdown explains how weā€™re now seeing textbook signs of a countryā€™s slide into #authoritarian rule.
https://newrepublic.com/article/191598/trump-musk-threats-darken-anger-enemies-takes-ominous-turn

"Elon Musk raged on #Twitter that people at CBS News deserve a ā€œlong prison sentenceā€... Meanwhile, #Trump tweeted out a line saying straight out that his presidency is above the #law."

#Authoritarianism

Trump-Musk Threats Darken as Their Anger at Enemies Takes Ominous Turn

As Trump and Elon Musk signal menacing new intentions on numerous fronts, a scholar of democratic breakdown explains how weā€™re now seeing textbook signs of a countryā€™s slide into authoritarian rule.

The New Republic
Show threadZhi Zhu šŸ•øļøFeb 19, 2025

Meta removes Facebook ad criticizing Musk
https://www.muskwatch.com/p/meta-removes-facebook-ad-criticizing

"Meta removed an advertisement earlier this month criticizing Elon Muskā€™s use of ... #DOGE to seize #Americans' private information. "A single individual now controls sensitive US #data, risking our #NationalSecurity. Urge #Congress to enforce strict oversight," read the rejected Facebook ad"

#ElonMusk #Musk #Fascism #SocialMedia #Facebook #Meta #Politics #USPol #News #USNews #US #USA

Meta removes Facebook ad criticizing Musk

Meta removed an advertisement earlier this month criticizing Elon Muskā€™s use of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to seize Americans' private information.

Musk Watch
Show threadZhi Zhu šŸ•øļøFeb 19, 2025

"T" as in Tesla

Where Do You Protest Elon Musk?

Everywhere, It Turns Out.
From Stonewall to Tesla dealerships, protesters are pioneering a form of opposition that doesn't necessarily center on Washington, D.C.
https://newrepublic.com/article/191624/elon-musk-stonewall-protest-tesla

"These sorts of protests are now following each new #Trump decree, every agency #Musk has ravaged. The sites are expanding: from #DC sidewalks to Congressional offices, from #Stonewall to #Tesla dealerships"

#Resist #Resistance #Musk #Trump #Politics #News #US

Where Do You Protest Elon Musk? Everywhere, It Turns Out.

From Stonewall to Tesla dealerships, protesters are pioneering a form of opposition that doesn't necessarily center on Washington, D.C..

The New Republic
Show threadZhi Zhu šŸ•øļøFeb 19, 2025

Great News For Us, Awful News For Trump and Elon
https://www.dworkinsubstack.com/p/great-news-for-us-awful-news-for

"protests were held in all 50 states and DC yesterday, as part of the #NotMyPresidentsDayā€ and #NoKingsDay demonstrations. In many places, people braved below freezing wind chills and snow, or pouring rain, to make their voices heard.

With rallies in more than 100 cities, it was by far the largest day of #protests this year. Itā€™s clear there is momentum growing"

#Resist #Resistance #USA #US #USPol #Politics #News

Great News For Us, Awful News For Trump and Elon

Onward.

The Dworkin Report
Show threadZhi Zhu šŸ•øļøFeb 19, 2025

This We'll Defund

DOGE Is Targeting the Wrong Agencies

The Dept of Defense has a bloated budget, is ripe with #corruption, & has never passed an audit. Hundreds of billions should be slashed.
https://newrepublic.com/article/191611/doge-targeting-wrong-agencies

"The #DeptOfDefense, which commands an $850 billion budget, failed its 7th audit in a row in November. In fact, itā€™s the only major federal agency that has never passed one...

#Doge ...[should] have spent the last month at the #Pentagon, not #USAID."

#DOD #Musk #USPol #News #US

DOGE Is Targeting the Wrong Agencies

The Department of Defense has a bloated budget, is ripe with corruption, and has never passed an audit. Hundreds of billions should be slashed.

The New Republic
Show threadZhi Zhu šŸ•øļøFeb 19, 2025

Elon Sees Dead People

Along with a whole lot of fraud that has no basis in fact. So whatā€™s he up to, exactly?
https://statuskuo.substack.com/p/elon-sees-dead-people

"Musk wasted no time spreading outright #lies...

#Musk made three big #false claims about #SocialSecurity fraud, both online & during that bizarre Oval Office presser where he acted like the president, with his toddler seated at the desk beside him the whole time. (Musk also brought his child X.)"

#ElonMusk #Trump #Corruption #GOP #Politics #USPol #USA #News

Elon Sees Dead People

Along with a whole lot of fraud that has no basis in fact. So whatā€™s he up to, exactly?

The Status Kuo
Show threadZhi Zhu šŸ•øļø

"But #Musk isnā€™t really interested in the truth, or even in finding #fraud. If he were, he would have brought in forensic accountants & not young software coders.

Musk is lying to the #American public...

The legacy #press is doing a lousy job letting the public know that Muskā€™s statements are bogus & easily disprovable...

Just as #fascists have done throughout #history, Muskā€™s claims of rampant fraud are a #FalseFlag operation"
https://statuskuo.substack.com/p/elon-sees-dead-people

#ElonMusk #Coup #Fascism #Politics #USA

Elon Sees Dead People

Along with a whole lot of fraud that has no basis in fact. So whatā€™s he up to, exactly?

The Status Kuo
Feb 19, 2025 at 4:14amWeb
Show threadZhi Zhu šŸ•øļøFeb 19, 2025

How Musk is cancelling the US government
https://robertreich.substack.com/p/how-musk-is-cancelling-the-us-government

"This is blatantly illegal, yet #Congress remains silent.

...Musk has also become Trumpā€™s hatchet man ā€” threatening #Republican members of Congress if they deviate from #Trump...

#Musk warned Republican lawmakers... that his political action committee would ā€œplay a significant role in primariesā€ next year."

#ElonMusk #Corruption #Coup #Politics #USPol #USNews #News #US #USA

How Musk is cancelling the U.S. government

Friends,

Show threadZhi Zhu šŸ•øļøFeb 19, 2025

Steve Bannon Slams ā€œParasitic Illegal Immigrantā€ Elon Musk

Trumpā€™s former adviser has some choice words for #ElonMusk as the #MAGA civil war escalates.
https://newrepublic.com/post/191652/steve-bannon-slams-parasite-elon-musk

"The far-right commentator & former #DonaldTrump adviser told the outlet that ā€œMusk is a parasitic illegal #immigrant. He wants to impose his freak experiment and play-act as God without any respect for the countryā€™s history, tradition or values.ā€"

#Musk #SteveBannon #Trump #GOP #Politics #USPol #US #USNews #News #USA

Steve Bannon Slams ā€œParasitic Illegal Immigrantā€ Elon Musk

Trumpā€™s former adviser has some choice words for Elon Musk as the MAGA civil war escalates.

The New Republic
Show threadZhi Zhu šŸ•øļøFeb 19, 2025

Not Even DOGE Employees Know Whoā€™s Legally Running DOGE

Despite all appearances, the White House insists that #ElonMusk is not in charge of DOGE. US Doge Service employees canā€™t get a straight answer about who is.
https://www.wired.com/story/doge-elon-musk-leadership-administrator/

"according to a new #court filing from the #WhiteHouse, the administrator of #DOGE isnā€™t Elon Musk after all. Who is? No one knows...

a sworn statement...Muskā€™s formal role is ā€œsenior advisorā€ to the president"

#Musk #Corruption #Coup #Trump #Politics #News

Not Even DOGE Employees Know Who's Legally Running DOGE

Despite all appearances, the White House insists that Elon Musk is not in charge of DOGE. US DOGE Service employees canā€™t get a straight answer about who is.

WIRED
Show threadZhi Zhu šŸ•øļøFeb 19, 2025

STATE OF NEW MEXICO v. MUSK
Declaration of Joshua Fisher
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69638651/24/1/state-of-new-mexico-v-musk/

"Musk is a senior advisor to the president...

In his role as senior advisor..., Musk has no actual or formal authority to make #government decisions...

He is not an employee of the US #Doge Service...

#Musk is not the US Doge Service administrator"

[Is Fisher lying to delay court rulings? Musk is obviously running Doge, whatever his official title.]

#ElonMusk #Lawsuit #NewMexico #Trump #Politics #USA #USPol

Show threadZhi Zhu šŸ•øļøFeb 19, 2025

White House Says Elon Musk Isnā€™t Running DOGEā€”So Who Is?

If #ElonMusk isnā€™t really the person in charge of the Dept of Govt Efficiency, who the hell is?
https://newrepublic.com/post/191633/white-house-elon-musk-doge

"So if #Musk isnā€™t in charge of #DOGE, who is? And if heā€™s just some adviser with ā€œno actual formal authority,ā€ why is he seemingly involved in eliminating massive #government programs, firing thousands of people, & holding press conferences in the Oval Office?"

#Trump #Lies #Corruption #GOP #Politics #USPol #News #US

White House Says Elon Musk Isnā€™t Running DOGEā€”So Who Is?

If Elon Musk isnā€™t really the person in charge of the Department of Government Efficiency, who the hell is?

The New Republic
Show threadZhi Zhu šŸ•øļøFeb 19, 2025

Trump Press Sec Tries Bizarre Argument on DOGE to Avoid Legal Trouble

If Elon Musk isnā€™t in charge & DOGE has no real authority... what happens next?
https://newrepublic.com/post/191661/trump-press-secretary-leavitt-doge-elon-musk

"Itā€™s a clear attempt to avoid legal trouble... one unlikely to stand up in court. #Trump explicitly appointed #Musk as head of #DOGE just 1 week after he won the election... Musk even held a press briefing in the Oval Office, as Trump signed an executive order expanding DOGE powers... pathetic"

#Politics #Law #News #USA

Trump Press Sec Tries Bizarre Argument on DOGE to Avoid Legal Trouble

If Elon Musk isnā€™t in charge and DOGE has no real authority... what happens next?

The New Republic
Show threadZhi Zhu šŸ•øļøFeb 19, 2025

The 50-Year-Old Law That Could Stop DOGE in Its Tracksā€”Maybe

At least 8 ongoing #lawsuits related to the so-called Department of Govt Efficiencyā€™s alleged access to sensitive data hinge on the Watergate-inspired Privacy Act of 1974. But itā€™s not airtight.
https://www.wired.com/story/privacy-act-doge-lawsuits/

"What Is the Privacy Act?

The Privacy Act is a #law that limits how the federal #government can collect, use, and share #information about #US citizens & other people in the #UnitedStates."

#Musk #Coup #News #USA

Elon Muskā€™s DOGE Is Being Sued Under the Privacy Act: What to Know

At least eight ongoing lawsuits related to the so-called Department of Government Efficiencyā€™s alleged access to sensitive data hinge on the Watergate-inspired Privacy Act of 1974. But itā€™s not airtight.

WIRED
Show threadZhi Zhu šŸ•øļøFeb 19, 2025

"The #PrivacyAct prohibits an agency from disclosing someoneā€™s recordsā€”even within the agencyā€”unless that person approves in writing or the agency meets one of the lawā€™s 12 exceptions. Most of the exceptions deal with fairly specific circumstances...

But there are also two broad, vague exceptions..."
https://www.wired.com/story/privacy-act-doge-lawsuits/

#ElonMusk #Musk #Doge #Lawsuit #Resistance #Resist #Privacy #Law #Legal #Data #Information #Government #Politics #US #USPol #USA #News #USNews

Elon Muskā€™s DOGE Is Being Sued Under the Privacy Act: What to Know

At least eight ongoing lawsuits related to the so-called Department of Government Efficiencyā€™s alleged access to sensitive data hinge on the Watergate-inspired Privacy Act of 1974. But itā€™s not airtight.

WIRED
Show threadZhi Zhu šŸ•øļøFeb 19, 2025

You Are the "Inefficiency"
https://paulwaldman.substack.com/p/you-are-the-inefficiency

"Musk and his online minions often refer to #liberals as NPCs, or nonplayer characters, a #VideoGame term referring to the figures who populate the background of #games...

as they see it, most of humanity is simply not #human. We are ants, or even less: bits of #programming to be moved around at Elonā€™s whim...

Any suffering he brings down on NPCs is meaningless"

#ElonMusk #Musk #Doge #Bigotry #Coup #Corruption #Government #HumanRights #USA

You Are the "Inefficiency"

Forget the "47%" - now nearly all of us are contemptible moochers whose lives are too inconsequential to worry about.

The Cross Section
Show threadZhi Zhu šŸ•øļøFeb 19, 2025

The Death of Government Expertise

Why #Trump and #Musk are on a firing spree
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/02/career-civil-servant-end/681712/

" #DOGE isnā€™t really a dept... and it has little to do with saving money... The whole enterprise is an attack against civil servants & the very notion of apolitical #expertise...

Modern societies, as #Americans are soon to learn, cannot function without #experts in every field, especially the many thousands who work in #public service."

#ElonMusk #Corruption #Politics #Government #US #USA

The Death of Government Expertise

Why Trump and Musk are on a firing spree

The Atlantic
Show threadZhi Zhu šŸ•øļøFeb 19, 2025

ā€˜This is a coupā€™: Trump and Muskā€™s purge is cutting more than costs, say experts

In slashing staff and disabling entire agencies the administration is lacerating the structures of US #democracy
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/17/trump-musk-government-cost-cutting-coup

ā€œThe president is openly violating the #US constitution by taking power from #Congress and handing it to an unelected billionaire ā€“ while #ElonMusk goes after judges who uphold the #law and rule against themā€

#Musk #Coup #Trump #GOP #Politics #USPol #News #USNews #USA

ā€˜This is a coupā€™: Trump and Muskā€™s purge is cutting more than costs, say experts

In slashing staff and disabling entire agencies the administration is lacerating the structures of US democracy

The Guardian
Show threadZhi Zhu šŸ•øļøFeb 19, 2025

Back Up Everything. Even if Elon Musk Isnā€™t Looking at It.

Readers worried after Mr. Musk and his team were given access to federal payment systems. Hereā€™s how to back up all your data and documents.
#GiftLink
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/14/business/personal-data-backup-musk.html?unlocked_article_code=1.w04.Zryd.XQW3ZRMFbGe-&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

"Back up everything important, everywhere you can. Do this at least once a year or so. Itā€™s just good hygiene."

#SocialSecurity #IRS #CreditCards #Data #ElonMusk #Musk #Trump #Politics #News #US #USA

How to Back Up All Your Data and Important Documents

Readers worried after Mr. Musk and his team were given access to federal payment systems. Hereā€™s how to back up all your data and documents.

The New York Times
Show threadZhi Zhu šŸ•øļøFeb 20, 2025

Musk Ally Demands Admin Access to System That Lets #Government Text the #Public

A worker resigned in protest rather than giving Thomas Shedd access to Notify.gov, which they said would allow him to see "all personally identifiable information moving through the Notify system, including phone numbers"...
https://www.404media.co/musk-ally-demands-admin-access-to-system-that-lets-government-text-the-public/

"Elon Musk ally #ThomasShedd requested ā€œadmin/root access to all components of the Notify.gov systemā€"

#Tech #Technology #Programming #Musk #Corruption #Politics #News

Musk Ally Demands Admin Access to System That Lets Government Text the Public

A worker resigned in protest rather than giving Thomas Shedd access to Notify.gov, which they said would allow him to see "all personally identifiable information moving through the Notiy system, including phone numbers," 404 Media has learned.

404 Media
Show threadZhi Zhu šŸ•øļøFeb 20, 2025

Trump Guts Crucial OPM Team as Elon Musk Gains Even More Power

The Office of Personnel Management has just limited access to certain government records on #ElonMusk and his #DOGE minions.
https://newrepublic.com/post/191663/elon-musk-opm-privacy-team

"The Trump administration has fired members of the ā€œprivacy teamā€ at the #OPM, a move that will hinder #public access & scrutiny over #government records related to the #security clearances of #ElonMusk & Doge."

#Musk #Coup #Trump #Corruption #Politics #Privacy #USPol #News #US #USA

Trump Guts Crucial OPM Team as Elon Musk Gains Even More Power

The Office of Personnel Management has just limited access to certain government records on Elon Musk and his DOGE minions.

The New Republic
Show threadZhi Zhu šŸ•øļøFeb 20, 2025

Worse & worse:

Oops: Trump-Musk Cuts Just Wrecked an NIH Org Championed by GOPers

Republicans once lavished praise on an NIH center that deals with Alzheimerā€™s. #DonaldTrump & #ElonMusk are hobbling it. What will those #Republicans say now?
https://newrepublic.com/article/191702/trump-musk-national-institutes-health-wrecked

"The firing of Van Keuren-Jensen, CARDā€™s incoming director, is seen as particularly damaging to the cause... They describe her as a leading researcher in the #Alzheimers field"

#Health #NIH #Healthcare #Musk #Trump #Politics #News

Oops: Trump-Musk Cuts Just Wrecked an NIH Org Championed by GOPers

Republicans once lavished praise on an NIH center that deals with Alzheimerā€™s. Donald Trump and Elon Musk are hobbling it. What will those Republicans say now?

The New Republic
Show threadZhi Zhu šŸ•øļøFeb 20, 2025

Transcript: Stephen Miller Rages on CNN as Muskā€™s DOGE Lie Implodes

An interview with writer Jill Lawrence, a sharp observer of Elon Muskā€™s #DOGE, who argues that the lies from Musk & Miller reveal how untenable MAGAā€™s larger ā€œdeep stateā€ mythology has become
https://newrepublic.com/article/191677/transcript-stephen-miller-rages-cnn-musks-doge-lie-implodes

"The deep state is not deeply corrupted & shot through w/fraud. Itā€™s not run by parasites...

#Musk is the parasite. Heā€™s the one w/the #government contract. Heā€™s the one getting billions & billions"

#USPol #News

Transcript: Stephen Miller Rages on CNN as Muskā€™s DOGE Lie Implodes

An interview with writer Jill Lawrence, a sharp observer of Elon Muskā€™s DOGE, who argues that the lies from Musk and Stephen Miller reveal how untenable MAGAā€™s larger ā€œdeep stateā€ mythology has become

The New Republic
Show threadZhi Zhu šŸ•øļøFeb 20, 2025

The #DOGE Brain Drain Has Begun

Itā€™s not just jobs cut & agencies gutted. Itā€™s the talent that will be lost for generations to come.
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/the-doge-brain-drain-has-begun-science-government-cuts-budget-researchers

ā€œOne might ask, ā€˜Why are they trying to destroy the #science training pipeline?... To what end?ā€...

the scope of its impact... canā€™t be measured in weeks or months or even in #government services affected... it will be felt over the span of decades & defined in metrics like intellectual talent lost."

#Musk #GOP #Politics #News #USA #US

The DOGE Brain Drain Has Begun

Itā€™s not just jobs cut and agencies gutted. Itā€™s the talent that will be lost for generations to come.

The Bulwark
Show threadZhi Zhu šŸ•øļøFeb 20, 2025

Unelected billionaire breaks laws to "restore" democracy

This is NOT what democracy looks like.
https://www.publicnotice.co/p/elon-musk-trump-breaking-laws-democracy

"Trump did not run on a promise to unleash an unelected... [South African immigrant] to slash-&-burn through the #government, firing tens of thousands of employees & arbitrarily canceling contracts & federal programs.

And even if he had, that still wouldn't make it legal.

...most of what Musk is doing is flatly illegal."

#ElonMusk #Musk #Trump #GOP #Politics #Law #News

Unelected billionaire breaks laws to "restore" democracy

This is NOT what democracy looks like.

Public Notice
Show threadZhi Zhu šŸ•øļøFeb 20, 2025

"Canceling contracts without notice violates the #law. Mass firing federal employees without cause violates the law... most egregiously, Muskā€™s deletion of entire #government depts & Trumpā€™s refusal to spend money as directed by budget bills violates the #Constitution...

#Congress has the power of the purse, & ā€œfeeding #USAID to the woodchipperā€ violates the separation of powers because Congress established the agency & allocated funds"
https://www.publicnotice.co/i/157356503/laws-are-laws

#Musk #Trump #Coup #News #US

Unelected billionaire breaks laws to "restore" democracy

This is NOT what democracy looks like.

Public Notice
Show threadZhi Zhu šŸ•øļøFeb 20, 2025

President Elon Musk Canā€™t Understand How the US Government Works

Elon Musk complained that the US govt was working exactly how it was set up.
https://newrepublic.com/post/191682/president-elon-musk-no-clue-government-works

"Neither #Musk nor #Trump care about the actual structure of the #government [3 branches, checks & balances], or that it was created in direct response to the tyranny of monarchy... To them, there is only the executive branch, the reins of which Musk seems to have happily taken off of Trumpā€™s hands."

#ElonMusk #Coup #News #USA

President Elon Musk Canā€™t Understand How the U.S. Government Works

Elon Musk complained that the U.S. government was working exactly how it was set up.

The New Republic
Show threadMisuse CaseFeb 19, 2025
@ZhiZhu @caseyjonesed I love that more people are learning about the Privacy Act, but not the reason why
Show threadGwyn CieslaFeb 19, 2025

@ZhiZhu well yes, key word being legally.

"How can you get a permit to do a damned illegal thing?"

-Dr. McCoy, Star Trek III

Show threadGrassroots JoeFeb 19, 2025

@ZhiZhu

This is over the top dodgy clearly intending to forestall judicial action.

Show threadCoach Pāį¹‡ini Ā®Feb 19, 2025
@ZhiZhu
Show threadCamille Winds DownFeb 22, 2025
@ZhiZhu
I have been listening to Bannon's radio show. He goes overboard complimenting Musk and DOGE EVERY DAY.