Elon Musk’s coup in the United States

A popular argument, supported by some historians and commentators, is that Musk’s actions amount to a coup. They argue this is not a coup in the classic sense of a takeover of the physical centres of power. Rather, it’s a seizure of digital infrastructure by an unelected group seeking to undo democratic practices and violate human rights.

Musk’s influence over the government is undemocratic and possibly unconstitutional. The United States is witnessing the hostile takeover of the federal government by an unelected shadow government. 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 are Trump himself.

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, does not hold elected office and is not part of Trump’s Cabinet, whose members require confirmation by the US Senate.

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. 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.

Weeks since US President Donald Trump’s inauguration, Musk, the head of the 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.

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President Donald Trump has tapped Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to head what he’s calling the “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE)—an acronym that is an apparent wink to the dog-themed cryptocurrency by the same name that started as a joke and skyrocketed after Musk promoted it.

Trump has indicated DOGE and its leadership, Musk and Ramaswamy, will focus on regulating government spending.

While it is not yet clear whether this entity will exist within the federal government or outside, an official government agency cannot be created without an act of Congress.

Musk has become an increasingly influential voice in conservative politics. He first proposed a “government efficiency commission” that would monitor federal agencies during a conversation he had with Trump on X. Since winning the presidential election, Trump and Musk have remained in close orbit.

For Musk, having a direct role in the administration raises questions about potential conflicts of interest. He could potentially gain regulatory authority over federal agencies that oversee many of his companies that receive government funding, including Tesla, SpaceX, and Starlink. Musk’s companies have also been the subject of federal investigations.

Many Americans have watched in horror as Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, has been permitted to tear through various offices of the United States government in recent weeks. Backed by President Donald Trump and supported by a small team of true believers, he has successfully laid siege to America’s vast federal bureaucracy.

Trump signed an executive order giving Musk even more power. It requires federal agencies to cooperate with the “Department of Government Efficiency” (known as DOGE) in cutting their staffing levels and restricting new hires.

Inwalomhe Donald writes via [email protected]