Afrasianet - Ahmed Darwish - American billionaire Elon Musk has become the talk of the hour in America and Europe in recent days in an unprecedented way, due to the state of controversy he caused in the United States of America by using his influence granted to him by virtue of his work in his new administration, between fears of his abuse of power, and hopes that he will expose corruption and misspending in US government agencies, and has made headlines in newspapers and websites since his appointment to head the "Government Efficiency Committee" announced by Trump.
Musk spared no effort in carrying out his tasks, so he overthrew some institutions one after another, in a scene that annoyed those affected by it, of course, and pushed them to public confrontation and actual clash, so we will address during this article, the impact that Musk made internally at the level of the United States, and his role in dismantling the federal government, representing what is called in our Arab countries the "deep state".
US President Trump announced in recent days that he has tasked Elon Musk, who appointed him to head the Ministry of Government Efficiency, to conduct a review of the Defense Department's proposed budget for the current year $ 850 billion.
Appointment Decision
American public opinion has been divided towards American businessman Elon Musk, owner of SpaceX rocket companies and Tesla, since Trump announced his appointment to head the "government efficiency" committee in his new administration.
On his first day in office, Trump issued a series of executive orders, including the creation of the committee, which was tasked with "maximizing the efficiency and productivity of government." In Musk's words, the agency's goal is to "stop fraud and waste of taxpayers' money" by looking at how government agencies spend the money allocated to them.
Spark of conflict
US President Donald Trump announced in recent days that he has tasked Elon Musk, who appointed him to head the Ministry of Government Efficiency, to conduct a review of the Defense Department's proposed budget for the current year $ 850 billion.
Asked if the defense sector was on Musk's cost-cutting agenda, Trump told reporters at the White House: "I instructed him to check the education and the Pentagon, that is, (the military), and you know, you're going to find — unfortunately — very bad things, we're going to find fraud, abuses worth billions and hundreds of millions of dollars."
Democrats on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee sought to subpoena Musk to testify, but Republicans on the committee blocked the motion from proceeding with the request.
The beginning of the confrontation
As part of Musk's mandate from Trump, Musk's aides sought access to classified information in the computer systems of various government agencies.
The Washington Post, citing sources familiar with the matter, reported that representatives of Musk's committee had entered sensitive data related to the Department of Education into an artificial intelligence program as part of their work to gather information in order to audit the ministry's accounts. One of the sources said the committee used software accessible through Microsoft's Azure cloud computing service to screen grant funds and business trips.
Musk wrote on Platform X that "the only way to stop fraud and waste of taxpayers' money is to track cash flow and temporarily stop suspicious transactions for consideration."
Musk's access to sensitive data from federal agencies and the private information of millions of Americans has drawn criticism from officials and lawyers who say he violates the law and wields unlimited power. Critics say the efforts and actions of Musk and his aides are likely illegal, risk disclosing classified information and, in practice, would remove entire agencies without congressional approval.
Democrats on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee have sought to issue a subpoena for Musk to testify, but Republicans on the committee have blocked the request. Democratic Rep. Gerald Connolly said: "Who is this unelected billionaire who can try to break up federal agencies, fire and move people, offer them early retirement, and make sweeping reforms or changes to agencies, without any review, oversight or approval from Congress?".
Continuing the controversy that began on the matter, hours after the judicial decision, Musk called in a post on his platform "X" for the dismissal of the judge, calling him "corrupt and protecting corruption."
Clash with the judiciary
In an escalating step in this context of domestic simmering American action, a US federal judge has blocked the Government Efficiency Department, led by billionaire Musk, from accessing the personal financial data of millions of Americans in the Treasury Department records. Judge Paul A. Engelmayer issued a preliminary injunction blocking access to the data, ordering Musk and his team to immediately destroy any copies of the records they may have obtained.
The move comes after 19 U.S. attorneys general filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration after granting the Department of Government Efficiency access to records. Prosecutors argued that Musk's access to the data violated federal law, as a private government employee in charge of the State Efficiency Department, which is not an official government department.
Democratic prosecutors in the United States have also sued Trump, the Treasury Department and the Treasury secretary over the same.
Continuing the controversy that began hours after the judicial decision, Musk called in a post on his platform X for the judge's removal, calling him "corrupt and protecting corruption."
An article in the Israeli Walla website pointed out that US President Donald Trump's proposal to control the Gaza Strip is not just a passing idea, but part of a deliberate strategy aimed at stirring controversy and distracting public opinion from more dangerous moves taking place behind the scenes.
Demonstrations against Musk
In recent days, the US capital, "Washington", witnessed a demonstration in front of the Treasury Department building, where thousands of citizens, activists and members of Congress gathered to protest what they described as billionaire Elon Musk's control over the US financial system, amid accusations of violating laws and threatening democracy, while dozens of Democratic members of Congress chanted slogans such as "We will fight and we will win."
During the demonstration, Senator Elizabeth Warren considered that Musk is taking power from the American people, saying: "We are here to answer him, a few months ago he spent $ 280 million to buy the election for Donald Trump, and now he is here to reap the fruits of his investment," she added: "Musk controlled the American financial system, a system that ensures that our grandparents receive social security checks on time, and ensures that doctors get their dues from the Medicare system, he wants the power to decide who gets Money and who will be deprived of it, according to their personal whims, and we are here to face this tyranny." "Elon Musk has never been elected by any American, and yet he is trying to take over our country's financial system, control the payment of doctors' salaries, pensions, and finance infrastructure projects, and we will not allow him to do so."
What does Gaza have to do with what is going on?
An article in the Israeli Walla website pointed out that US President Donald Trump's proposal to control the Gaza Strip is not just a passing idea, but part of a deliberate strategy aimed at stirring controversy and distracting public opinion from more dangerous moves taking place behind the scenes.
Israeli writer Uriel Daskal said the approach is in line with the strategy of former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, who described the shocking news management tactic as "fast pace." Explaining this strategy, Bannon said: "Since the media is focused on only one issue, we are flooded with a torrent of exciting news, which gives us the opportunity to calmly implement our real agenda," adding that "Trump is not only talking about Gaza, but constantly putting forward exciting proposals such as buying Greenland or invading Panama, taking advantage of the media's preoccupation with these statements to distract from the real crises within the U.S. government."
In a controversial move, Trump appointed John Ratcliffe, known for his promotion of conspiracy theories, as director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), raising concerns about the agency's politicization.
Plan to dismantle the federal government
What is happening in Washington is much more dangerous than just sensational media statements! In the background, billionaire Elon Musk is playing a pivotal role in dismantling the institutions of the US federal government, and during the first weeks of his expansion of influence within state institutions, Musk and his team took over US financial data systems, scrapped important "protocols," and fired senior officials who oversaw these vital systems.
Musk also shut down entire government agencies, made attractive compensation offers to federal employees in exchange for resignation, and noted that 6 government agencies have filed lawsuits against him and Trump, but Musk continues to implement his plans based on his huge economic clout and strong relationship with Trump.
Currently, Musk and his team work around the clock in offices near the White House equipped with sleeping beds, reflecting the scale of efforts to dismantle federal state institutions and reshape them to serve his own interests as quickly as possible.
Perhaps the most dangerous thing about this is the systematic targeting of US intelligence services, such as the FBI and CIA, as an unprecedented campaign has begun to provide financial compensation to the employees of these agencies in exchange for resignation, which threatens the stability of US national security, and Trump ordered the dismissal of all employees associated with the investigations into the events of the storming of the "Capitol" building on January 6, 2021, which exposes them to the risk of personal retaliation.
In a controversial move, Trump appointed John Ratcliffe, known for promoting conspiracy theories, as director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), raising concerns about the agency's politicization. It is clear in this context that the weakening of these services is not limited to threatening US national security only, but also reflected in security cooperation between Washington and Israel, as the CIA is a major strategic partner in this field.
Media Distraction Strategy
While the global media is preoccupied with Trump's dramatic proposals such as taking control of Gaza or buying Greenland, he and Musk are quietly working on a broader plan to dismantle and reshape the U.S. federal government according to their personal interests.
This strategy relies on creating frequent media shocks to distract the public from the fundamental changes taking place behind the scenes, posing a real threat not only to American democracy, but also to global stability, including Israel's national security.
Musk continues to forcefully reshape the federal government on his own, trying to put his ideological mark on the bureaucracy and get rid of those whom he and the president describe as part of the "deep state."
The plan is going as planned
Musk is leading an unprecedented campaign against what he calls "federal bureaucracy" with the direct support of President Donald Trump, which has caused wide repercussions within government institutions, and Elon Musk's interventions have extended to at least 6 federal agencies, raising questions about the extent to which he defies the authority of Congress, and the possibility of violating civil service protection laws, according to the New York Times.
The administration excluded senior officials at the Treasury Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) after they objected to Musk's team's decisions, and Musk's push to shut down USAID, a major source of foreign aid, has sent a major international shock.
Musk continues to forcefully reshape the federal government on his own, trying to put his ideological mark on the bureaucracy and get rid of those whom he and the president describe as part of the "deep state." The swift moves led by Musk, who has multiple financial interests in front of the government, represent an unprecedented show of strength of one individual, as the speed and scale of events shocked government employees, who resorted to sharing information through encrypted conversations in an attempt to understand what was going on. Even senior White House staff found themselves in some Two officials who spoke to The New York Times on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the discussions, said on condition of anonymity.
Musk led a cost-cutting initiative in the administration, boasting that "his weekend work is a superpower" that gives him an advantage over his opponents, referring to federal government employees.
Holding hits and doesn't care
A Trump administration official said Musk is widely seen as operating with a level of autonomy that is almost out of control, with Musk working with hectic energy around the clock, surrounded by a group of young engineers, some from Silicon Valley.
According to a source familiar with the matter, Musk moved a family to the headquarters of the Federal Personnel Office, a few blocks from the White House, so that he and his team could work late into the night and sleep, repeating an approach he previously followed on Twitter and Tesla.
But this time Musk is moving under the cover of presidential power, with the president expressing his displeasure with some of his hasty decisions, but he did not hesitate to praise him publicly, with Trump telling reporters: "He's an expert at cutting costs, sometimes we won't agree with him, we won't go in the direction he wants, but I think he's doing a great job, he's a smart guy."
Musk led a cost-cutting initiative in the administration, boasting that "his weekend work is a superpower" that gives him an advantage over his opponents, referring to federal government employees, and Musk wrote on the X platform: "Only a few in the bureaucracy work over the weekend, so it's like the opposing team leaving the stadium for two days!"
Both Musk and Trump are currently implementing the long-standing idea of a "zero budget," that is, bringing all spending to zero and then rebuilding, and these moves are characteristic of the Musk administration's style that transcends all boundaries.
Final Word
It is clear that the American billionaire Musk seeks to stabilize the influence of Trump loyalists in the leadership, then move internal data, including sensitive ones, as well as control the flow of funds, and press hard to eliminate jobs and programs that are ideologically incompatible with the goals of the new administration. Both Musk and Trump are currently implementing the long-standing idea of a "zero budget," that is, bringing all spending to zero and then rebuilding. When he took over Twitter, which became the X platform, he fired more than 75% of employees.
Although most Republicans in Congress support Trump and Musk's moves, some conservatives and the president's longtime allies have expressed reservations about what is going on, with some calling it a "destructive ball, not a therapeutic scalpel."