Elon Musk Says He'll Step Back From the Government. DOGE Isn't Going Anywhere

What to make of nan alleged Department of Government Efficiency astatine this shape of nan Trump administration? Elon Musk has purportedly stepped away from his authorities duties. Courts are trying to onslaught down immoderate of DOGE’s astir egregious efforts. It whitethorn look arsenic though nan worst excesses of DOGE person passed, replaced by thing person to a stasis.

This isn’t true. Not moreover close.

While nan image of DOGE astir apt burned into your retina is that of Elon Musk wielding a literal concatenation saw, nan theatrics belie an statement that has softly permeated each corners of nan national government. More than that, it’s progressively clear that its objectives are now indistinguishable from that of nan broader Trump administration. Removing DOGE astatine this constituent would beryllium for illustration trying to region a driblet of nutrient coloring from a solid of water.

And what is it doing from its perch? Not loudly, clumsily attempting to occurrence thousands of authorities employees, but moving successful secrecy to collect, combine, and analyse information that was ne'er intended to comingle. Using that accusation to find and surveil immigrants. Giving nan Justice Department an assist connected alleged elector fraud indictments.

Even if Musk claims he’s stepping away—though he met pinch House Republicans conscionable this week—his lieutenants are still firmly successful spot astatine nan agencies that power nan national workforce and modulate his companies. DOGE is reportedly using his xAI Grok chatbot to parse delicate data, which perchance intends millions of Americans’ individual accusation is doubling arsenic training information for nan model. A 19-year-old who goes by Big Balls online is still a cardinal figure.

Meanwhile, nan victories against DOGE whitethorn beryllium short-lived. The Trump management utilized it arsenic a battering ram to push its policies done pinch overwhelming force. While nan courts person held patient successful immoderate cases—just this week, a judge declared DOGE’s takeover of nan United States Institute of Peace to beryllium unlawful—the policies still exist, and location are different ways to execute them. The Wall Street Journal reported recently that head of nan White House Office of Management and Budget Russell Vought would prime up DOGE’s cost-cutting mantle successful nan post-Musk era. Expect him to wield not a hammer but a finely edged blade.

This has ever been nan plan. Vought is nan designer of Project 2025, nan argumentation roadworthy representation that DOGE has been pursuing move by turn. He has been explaining for months what happens aft DOGE’s first assault.

“We’re going to usage each of our executive devices to make those savings permanent,” Vought said successful an question and reply pinch Fox Business anchor Larry Kudlow connected March 11. “We’re going to do everything we tin to make judge that those are not simply thing that goes connected a website, but becomes imperishable … We’ll activity pinch Congress to do it, but we’ve besides been alert nan grade to which Congress has had a difficult clip passing cuts of immoderate magnitude, and truthful what we want to do is everything we tin to usage statesmanlike devices to slope those savings home.”