Elon Musk tightens grip on gov’t, sparking ‘coup’ accusations

Tech billionaire has upended the federal bureaucracy in the two weeks since US President Donald Trump took office.

Musk
Elon Musk arrives on stage to speak at an indoor presidential inauguration parade event in Washington, DC, on January 20, 2025 [Susan Walsh/AP]

Billionaire Elon Musk is tightening his control over broad swaths of the United States government at extraordinary speed, prompting growing alarm from Democrats and constitutional scholars.

In the two weeks since US President Donald Trump’s inauguration, Musk, the head of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has upended the federal bureaucracy, prompting questions about the scope of his authority and warnings of a constitutional crisis, or even a coup.

Acting without oversight of the US Congress, Musk’s lieutenants have brought the work of the US’s main foreign aid agency to a halt, flagged millions of government employees for redundancy, gained access to classified material and sensitive details about millions of Americans, and taken control of the payment system that manages the flow of trillions of dollars of government spending.

Musk, who was named as a “special government employee” by the White House on Monday, does not hold elected office and is not part of Trump’s Cabinet, whose members require confirmation by the US Senate.

Advertisement

“I’ve never ever seen anything like this, never in the history of the country. We always have the president, Cabinet members and the Treasury secretary confirmed by the Senate,” Richard Painter, who served as the chief White House ethics lawyer in the administration of former President George W Bush, told Al Jazeera.

“Cabinet members are installed by the president, they coordinate with the White House to implement policy. You can’t just not spend money appropriated by Congress.”

As the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, Musk, the world’s richest man, has billions of dollars worth of government contracts, a fact that has raised concerns about conflicts of interest that could arise in his cost-cutting drive.

“Special government employees”, who are typically appointed on a temporary basis, are subject to “most” ethics rules that apply to ordinary government employees, “although sometimes in a less restrictive way”, according to a US Department of Justice summary.

Under the law, they are restricted from “participating in matters” that affect their financial interests and “may” be required to submit a financial disclosure report within 30 days of assuming a position, according to the summary.

Enforcing ethics rules against Musk is at the discretion of the Justice Department, which Trump has sought to purge of perceived enemies.

“Only the justice department can enforce this statute,” Kathleen Clark, a law professor at Washington University who specialises in government ethics, told Al Jazeera.

Advertisement

“And it is reasonable to question whether Trump’s Justice Department will enforce the law against a Trump ally like Musk.”

On Monday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he had taken over as acting director of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which Musk had labelled a “criminal organisation”.

Hours later, Musk appeared to confirm reports that his task force had taken control of the US Treasury payments system, which manages the transfer of funds on behalf of the entire federal government.

“The only way to stop fraud and waste of taxpayer money is to follow the payment flows and pause suspicious transactions for review. Obviously,” Musk said in a post on social media platform X.

“Naturally, this causes those who have been aiding, abetting and receiving fraudulent payments very upset. Too bad.”

On Monday, a group of unions representing government workers filed a lawsuit against the Treasury Department and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, alleging that DOGE’s access to the payments system had unlawfully compromised the privacy of millions of Americans.

“Secretary Bessent’s action granting DOGE-affiliated individuals full, continuous, and ongoing access to that information for an unspecified period of time means that retirees, taxpayers, federal employees, companies, and other individuals from all walks of life have no assurance that their information will receive the protection that federal law affords,” said the complaint, filed by The Alliance for Retired Americans, the American Federation of Government Employees and the Service Employees International Union.

Advertisement

“And because Defendants’ actions and decisions are shrouded in secrecy, individuals will not have even basic information about what personal or financial information that Defendants are sharing with outside parties or how their information is being used.”

trump
US President Donald Trump speaks as he prepares to sign an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on February 3, 2025 [Evan Vucci/AP]

In a news conference, Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader in the Senate, said that the US was witnessing the “hostile takeover of the federal government” by an “unelected shadow government”.

New York House Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez accused Musk of orchestrating a “plutocratic coup”.

“If you want the power, run for office and be chosen by the people,” Ocasio-Cortez said on X.

Michael J Gerhardt, a professor who specialises in constitutional law at the University of North Carolina School of Law, said that Musk’s influence over the government was undemocratic and possibly unconstitutional.

“This is perhaps the first time ever someone from outside the government has been so openly given free rein within,” Gerhardt told Al Jazeera.

“There is no mechanism for keeping Elon Musk in check.”

“He has whatever power Trump lets him have,” Gerhardt added. “Given his position, the only bounds on his authority is Trump himself.”

However, David Alvis, an associate professor of political science at Wofford College, in Spartanburg, South Carolina, disputed the suggestion that Musk’s actions should be seen as an illegitimate exercise of power.

Advertisement

“I think it would be better to think of it as an attempt to implement in practice what Reagan Republicanism had preached in theory for years.? It was Reagan who had promised to eliminate the Department of Education and Energy but did not,” Alvis told Al Jazeera.

“As presidents have increasingly relied on unilateral executive power to advance public policy, the Trump administration is relying on that same reservoir of power to undo most of the public policy entrenched at the administrative level over the past decades.”

Speaking to reporters at the Oval Office of the White House, Trump said that Musk “can’t” and “won’t” do anything without the approval of his administration.

“We will give him the approval where appropriate. Where not appropriate, we won’t. He reports in,” Trump said.

“Where we think there’s a conflict or a problem, we won’t let him go near it,” Trump added.

Gerhardt, the law professor, said that while the presence of “powers behind the throne” was not new in US politics, Musk’s influence over the government showed an unprecedented disregard for the law.

“There has been corruption associated with nearly every presidency in American history, but Musk is brazenly defying and disregarding the laws that govern how government functions,” Gerhardt said.

Source: Al Jazeera

Advertisement
universo-virtual.com
buytrendz.net
thisforall.net
benchpressgains.com
qthzb.com
mindhunter9.com
dwjqp1.com
secure-signup.net
ahaayy.com
soxtry.com
tressesindia.com
puresybian.com
krpano-chs.com
cre8workshop.com
hdkino.org
peixun021.com
qz786.com
utahperformingartscenter.org
maw-pr.com
zaaksen.com
ypxsptbfd7.com
worldqrmconference.com
shangyuwh.com
eejssdfsdfdfjsd.com
playminecraftfreeonline.com
trekvietnamtour.com
your-business-articles.com
essaywritingservice10.com
hindusamaaj.com
joggingvideo.com
wandercoups.com
onlinenewsofindia.com
worldgraphic-team.com
bnsrz.com
wormblaster.net
tongchengchuyange0004.com
internetknowing.com
breachurch.com
peachesnginburlesque.com
dataarchitectoo.com
clientfunnelformula.com
30pps.com
cherylroll.com
ks2252.com
webmanicura.com
osostore.com
softsmob.com
sofietsshotel.com
facetorch.com
nylawyerreview.com
apapromotions.com
shareparelli.com
goeaglepointe.com
thegreenmanpubphuket.com
karotorossian.com
publicsensor.com
taiwandefence.com
epcsur.com
odskc.com
inzziln.info
leaiiln.info
cq-oa.com
dqtianshun.com
southstills.com
tvtv98.com
thewellington-hotel.com
bccaipiao.com
colectoresindustrialesgs.com
shenanddcg.com
capriartfilmfestival.com
replicabreitlingsale.com
thaiamarinnewtoncorner.com
gkmcww.com
mbnkbj.com
andrewbrennandesign.com
cod54.com
luobinzhang.com
bartoysdirect.com
taquerialoscompadresdc.com
aaoodln.info
amcckln.info
drvrnln.info
dwabmln.info
fcsjoln.info
hlonxln.info
kcmeiln.info
kplrrln.info
fatcatoons.com
91guoys.com
signupforfreehosting.com
faithfirst.net
zjyc28.com
tongchengjinyeyouyue0004.com
nhuan6.com
oldgardensflowers.com
lightupthefloor.com
bahamamamas-stjohns.com
ly2818.com
905onthebay.com
fonemenu.com
notanothermovie.com
ukrainehighclassescort.com
meincmagazine.com
av-5858.com
yallerdawg.com
donkeythemovie.com
corporatehospitalitygroup.com
boboyy88.com
miteinander-lernen.com
dannayconsulting.com
officialtomsshoesoutletstore.com
forsale-amoxil-amoxicillin.net
generictadalafil-canada.net
guitarlessonseastlondon.com
lesliesrestaurants.com
mattyno9.com
nri-homeloans.com
rtgvisas-qatar.com
salbutamolventolinonline.net
sportsinjuries.info
topsedu.xyz
xmxm7.com
x332.xyz
sportstrainingblog.com
autopartspares.com
readguy.net
soniasegreto.com
bobbygdavis.com
wedsna.com
rgkntk.com
bkkmarketplace.com
zxqcwx.com
breakupprogram.com
boxcardc.com
unblockyoutubeindonesia.com
fabulousbookmark.com
beat-the.com
guatemala-sailfishing-vacations-charters.com
magie-marketing.com
kingstonliteracy.com
guitaraffinity.com
eurelookinggoodapparel.com
howtolosecheekfat.net
marioncma.org
oliviadavismusic.com
shantelcampbellrealestate.com
shopleborn13.com
topindiafree.com
v-visitors.net
qazwsxedcokmijn.com
parabis.net
terriesandelin.com
luxuryhomme.com
studyexpanse.com
ronoom.com
djjky.com
053hh.com
originbluei.com
baucishotel.com
33kkn.com
intrinsiqresearch.com
mariaescort-kiev.com
mymaguk.com
sponsored4u.com
crimsonclass.com
bataillenavale.com
searchtile.com
ze-stribrnych-struh.com
zenithalhype.com
modalpkv.com
bouisset-lafforgue.com
useupload.com
37r.net
autoankauf-muenster.com
bantinbongda.net
bilgius.com
brabustermagazine.com
indigrow.org
miicrosofts.net
mysmiletravel.com
selinasims.com
spellcubesapp.com
usa-faction.com
snn01.com
hope-kelley.com
bancodeprofissionais.com
zjccp99.com
liturgycreator.com
weedsmj.com
majorelenco.com
colcollect.com
androidnews-jp.com
hypoallergenicdogsnames.com
dailyupdatez.com
foodphotographyreviews.com
cricutcom-setup.com
chprowebdesign.com
katyrealty-kanepa.com
tasramar.com
bilgipinari.org
four-am.com
indiarepublicday.com
inquick-enbooks.com
iracmpi.com
kakaschoenen.com
lsm99flash.com
nana1255.com
ngen-niagara.com
technwzs.com
virtualonlinecasino1345.com
wallpapertop.net
nova-click.com
abeautifulcrazylife.com
diggmobile.com
denochemexicana.com
eventhalfkg.com
medcon-taiwan.com
life-himawari.com
myriamshomes.com
nightmarevue.com
allstarsru.com
bestofthebuckeyestate.com
bestofthefirststate.com
bestwireless7.com
declarationintermittent.com
findhereall.com
jingyou888.com
lsm99deal.com
lsm99galaxy.com
moozatech.com
nuagh.com
patliyo.com
philomenamagikz.net
rckouba.net
saturnunipessoallda.com
tallahasseefrolics.com
thematurehardcore.net
totalenvironment-inthatquietearth.com
velislavakaymakanova.com
vermontenergetic.com
sizam-design.com
kakakpintar.com
begorgeouslady.com
1800birks4u.com
2wheelstogo.com
6strip4you.com
bigdata-world.net
emailandco.net
gacapal.com
jharpost.com
krishnaastro.com
lsm99credit.com
mascalzonicampani.com
sitemapxml.org
thecityslums.net
topagh.com
flairnetwebdesign.com
bangkaeair.com
beneventocoupon.com
noternet.org
oqtive.com
smilebrightrx.com
decollage-etiquette.com
1millionbestdownloads.com
7658.info
bidbass.com
devlopworldtech.com
digitalmarketingrajkot.com
fluginfo.net
naqlafshk.com
passion-decouverte.com
playsirius.com
spacceleratorintl.com
stikyballs.com
top10way.com
yokidsyogurt.com
zszyhl.com
16firthcrescent.com
abogadolaboralistamd.com
apk2wap.com
aromacremeria.com
banparacard.com
bosmanraws.com
businessproviderblog.com
caltonosa.com
calvaryrevivalchurch.org
chastenedsoulwithabrokenheart.com
cheminotsgardcevennes.com
cooksspot.com
cqxzpt.com
deesywig.com
deltacartoonmaps.com
despixelsetdeshommes.com
duocoracaobrasileiro.com
fareshopbd.com
goodpainspills.com
kobisitecdn.com
makaigoods.com
mgs1454.com
piccadillyresidences.com
radiolaondafresca.com
rubendorf.com
searchengineimprov.com
sellmyhrvahome.com
shugahouseessentials.com
sonihullquad.com
subtractkilos.com
valeriekelmansky.com
vipasdigitalmarketing.com
voolivrerj.com
zeelonggroup.com
1015southrockhill.com
10x10b.com
111-online-casinos.com
191cb.com
3665arpentunitd.com
aitesonics.com
bag-shokunin.com
brightotech.com
communication-digitale-services.com
covoakland.org
dariaprimapack.com
freefortniteaccountss.com
gatebizglobal.com
global1entertainmentnews.com
greatytene.com
hiroshiwakita.com
iktodaypk.com
jahatsakong.com
meadowbrookgolfgroup.com
newsbharati.net
platinumstudiosdesign.com
slotxogamesplay.com
strikestaruk.com
trucosdefortnite.com
ufabetrune.com
weddedtowhitmore.com
12940brycecanyonunitb.com
1311dietrichoaks.com
2monarchtraceunit303.com
601legendhill.com
850elaine.com
adieusolasomade.com
andora-ke.com
bestslotxogames.com
cannagomcallen.com
endlesslyhot.com
iestpjva.com
ouqprint.com
pwmaplefest.com
qtylmr.com
rb88betting.com
buscadogues.com
1007macfm.com
born-wild.com
growthinvests.com
promocode-casino.com
proyectogalgoargentina.com
wbthompson-art.com
whitemountainwheels.com
7thavehvl.com
developmethis.com
funkydogbowties.com
travelodgegrandjunction.com
gao-town.com
globalmarketsuite.com
blogshippo.com
hdbka.com
proboards67.com
outletonline-michaelkors.com
kalkis-research.com
thuthuatit.net
buckcash.com
hollistercanada.com
docterror.com
asadart.com
vmayke.org
erwincomputers.com
dirimart.org
okkii.com
loteriasdecehegin.com
mountanalog.com
healingtaobritain.com
ttxmonitor.com
bamthemes.com
nwordpress.com
11bolabonanza.com
avgo.top