Burn it down

#Musk and #Trump Are Cutting Popular Programs. That’s Deliberate.

This is how you sever the positive relationship between people and government—ensuring there’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, it’s important that people not have good experiences w/the #government"

#Coup #News #USA

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 Musk’s lieutenants with access to closely held #data. Musk’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 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 #Americans’ bank information, #SocialSecurity numbers, earnings records, marital statuses, dates of birth &, in some cases, medical records if people have applied for disability benefits.

“She was replaced as acting commissioner because she would not give access to the sensitive information”"

#Musk #Coup #USPol #News #US

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 benefits… & another agency whose entire purpose is to help victims of financial crimes"

#Musk #News #US

No, 150-Year-Olds Aren’t Collecting Social Security Benefits

#ElonMusk claims to have found rampant #fraud in the #SocialSecurity Administration. There’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 Administration’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

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 everybody’s and every companies’ #tax returns at the #IRS. It seems like they now have that access, though we don’t know that for certain. (We’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

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 we’re now seeing textbook signs of a country’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 “long prison sentence”... Meanwhile, #Trump tweeted out a line saying straight out that his presidency is above the #law."

#Authoritarianism

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 Musk’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

"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

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 #NotMyPresidentsDay” 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. It’s clear there is momentum growing"

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

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, it’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

Elon Sees Dead People

Along with a whole lot of fraud that has no basis in fact. So what’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

"But #Musk isn’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 Musk’s statements are bogus & easily disprovable...

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

#ElonMusk #Coup #Fascism #Politics #USA

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 Trump’s hatchet man — threatening #Republican members of Congress if they deviate from #Trump...

#Musk warned Republican lawmakers... that his political action committee would “play a significant role in primaries” next year."

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

Steve Bannon Slams “Parasitic Illegal Immigrant” Elon Musk

Trump’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 “Musk is a parasitic illegal #immigrant. He wants to impose his freak experiment and play-act as God without any respect for the country’s history, tradition or values.”"

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

Not Even DOGE Employees Know Who’s Legally Running DOGE

Despite all appearances, the White House insists that #ElonMusk is not in charge of DOGE. US Doge Service employees can’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 isn’t Elon Musk after all. Who is? No one knows...

a sworn statement...Musk’s formal role is “senior advisor” to the president"

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

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

White House Says Elon Musk Isn’t Running DOGE—So Who Is?

If #ElonMusk isn’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 isn’t in charge of #DOGE, who is? And if he’s just some adviser with “no actual formal authority,” 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

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

If Elon Musk isn’t in charge & DOGE has no real authority... what happens next?
https://newrepublic.com/post/191661/trump-press-secretary-leavitt-doge-elon-musk

"It’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

The 50-Year-Old Law That Could Stop DOGE in Its Tracks—Maybe

At least 8 ongoing #lawsuits related to the so-called Department of Govt Efficiency’s alleged access to sensitive data hinge on the Watergate-inspired Privacy Act of 1974. But it’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

"The #PrivacyAct prohibits an agency from disclosing someone’s records—even within the agency—unless that person approves in writing or the agency meets one of the law’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

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 Elon’s whim...

Any suffering he brings down on NPCs is meaningless"

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

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 isn’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

‘This is a coup’: Trump and Musk’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

“The president is openly violating the #US constitution by taking power from #Congress and handing it to an unelected billionaire – while #ElonMusk goes after judges who uphold the #law and rule against them”

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

Back Up Everything. Even if Elon Musk Isn’t Looking at It.

Readers worried after Mr. Musk and his team were given access to federal payment systems. Here’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. It’s just good hygiene."

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

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 “admin/root access to all components of the Notify.gov system”"

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

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 “privacy team” 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

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 Alzheimer’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, CARD’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

Transcript: Stephen Miller Rages on CNN as Musk’s DOGE Lie Implodes

An interview with writer Jill Lawrence, a sharp observer of Elon Musk’s #DOGE, who argues that the lies from Musk & Miller reveal how untenable MAGA’s larger “deep state” 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. It’s not run by parasites...

#Musk is the parasite. He’s the one w/the #government contract. He’s the one getting billions & billions"

#USPol #News