‘Clearly running the show’: Elon Musk is called out by a Democratic senator over DOGE debunk
Bernie Sanders continues to be right, as per usual.
As the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (eye-rollingly known as DOGE) continues to wreak havoc over the US, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders isn’t holding back with his critiques of the department and who’s really pulling the strings—because it’s definitely not President Trump.
From workforce reductions to potentially dismantling federal agencies like the Department of Education, there’s no telling what DOGE is capable of. The special commission, which is informally fronted by Musk, has threatened to slash essential programs like MEDICAID since the beginning as part of its ongoing efforts to slash spending, but whether or not American taxpayers will actually reap the benefits remains to be seen (pssst—it’s unlikely).
Until then, Bernie Sanders is pretty much saying what we’re all thinking, as he had some strong words for DOGE and the power dynamics going on behind the scenes.
Speaking with CNN’s “The Source,” Sanders exercised his usual no-BS candidness when asked about DOGE’s leadership, telling the outlet: “The issue is not who is technically the administrator. Elon Musk is clearly running the show. The wealthiest person in the world who has enormous conflicts of interest who is helping to find right-wing extremist organizations all over the world, who’s looking forward to getting massive tax breaks from Congress, is running the show.”
Still, leave it to Sanders to end on an optimistic note. “At the end of the day, the struggle against Trump, the struggle against oligarchy, which is led by Elon Musk, the struggle against authoritarianism, the fight to make sure that the working class of this country gets a fair shake, that is not going to be won here on Capitol Hill,” he said. “It’s going to be won by millions of people all over this country.”
The courts also have a sneaking suspicion about Musk’s DOGE involvement
Sanders isn’t exactly wrong here, especially when considering that Musk’s official status in the current administration remains something of a mystery. Trump & Co. have refused to give Musk much of an official title, but White House aide Joshua Fisher stated under oath that the Tesla CEO “has no actual or formal authority to make government decisions himself,” making some of his actions under DOGE questionable at best, and downright illegal at worst, per Vox.
Fisher also claimed that Musk is not the head of the U.S. DOGE Service, which operates within the Executive Office of the President, or even an employee of the department, at that. If this isn’t ringing alarm bells, trust me, it should—ever since Trump and Elon became BFFs, Musk has clearly been in charge of DOGE, and not just as a figurehead. This whole thing sure smells fishy, and could be a strategic move on Trump’s behalf to keep Musk as a de facto advisor who’s not subject to the same rules and ethics as an actual government employee with an actual title.
It’ll be interesting to see if Musk faces any legal scrutiny for his policy-making under DOGE, because let’s be real here: until he proves otherwise, Trump seems happy to let Musk lead the charge. And quick reminder, no one voted for this guy! In any case, Bernie Sanders continues to be right, as per usual.
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