For someone on the outside with no knowledge of how the U.S. government functions, it would seem as though Elon Musk was some sort of high-ranking official — maybe even a king. Who else would have the ability to access private information from the Treasury, lay off thousands of federal workers and issue ultimatums to those who actually do still have a job?
Elon Musk is not a king or government official, and he was never elected to hold any position within the U.S. government, but those are the exact powers he has been granted. While it has never been a secret that billionaires and corporations are deeply entwined with the U.S. government, the levels of influence we are currently seeing from Musk and others constitute a textbook case of oligarchy: a small group of people having control of a country, organization or institution.
Through his newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—which, mind you, is not even a real federal agency—Musk aims to cut costs within the government.
Some of the agencies and departments affected include USAID, which provides international humanitarian assistance, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the National Park Service, according to The Associated Press.
“The people voted for major government reform, and that’s what they’re going to get,” Musk said during a press conference at the White House on Feb. 12, 2025.
The people voted for many things when they elected Trump last November, but a man and his “tech bros” being allowed to just walk on into the federal government was not something that was voted for.
Now, it has been argued by some supporters of Musk and DOGE that they are actually doing the government a service by eliminating wasted money and making the government more transparent. DOGE’s goal is to save $1 trillion by the end of the year, and its website estimates current savings at $115 billion.
This number has come under scrutiny from experts, with The Times reporting that five out of the 20 largest savings claims appear to be exaggerated. DOGE’s sweeping cuts have also raised questions as they have no clear direction whatsoever, and agencies have been targeted from all across the government.
It is absurd to think that one billionaire and his cronies somehow have enough knowledge of the government and the thousands of contracts that have been targeted to eliminate $1 trillion, almost 15% of the $7 trillion expected by the Congressional Budget Office to be spent during fiscal year 2025 by the federal government, essentially overnight.
The American people were not born yesterday, and people are waking up to what Musk and DOGE are doing. A recent CNN/SSRS poll of 1,206 adults found that 53% of people hold an unfavorable opinion of Musk, while only 35% view him in a positive light.
In addition to the polling numbers, Tesla stocks have been on a steady decline since December, and acts of vandalism targeting Tesla cars and dealerships have spiked, according to The Associated Press.
If the Democrats want to retake seats in Congress in 2026, and possibly the presidency in 2028, they must take advantage of the growing resentment toward Musk and DOGE’s cuts through a direct approach that speaks to working and middle-class families.
Democrats should look no further than Bernie Sanders. The 83-year-old veteran senator, despite his age, has led the charge in fighting back against the government takeover we are currently witnessing.
His “Fighting Oligarchy” tour is currently going around the country, drawing crowd sizes into the tens of thousands. This is the way to fight back. Democrats can say all they want about Musk, but unless they go out and speak to people concerned about our democracy, or federal workers who have been fired, they will not be able to rally support against the oligarchy forming in Washington.
