Summary

The White House confirmed that Elon Musk is working as a “special government employee” under Trump, granting him significant authority to cut federal spending.

Musk has a government email, office space, and access to sensitive Treasury systems. His team abruptly shut down USAID headquarters on Monday.

Musk is consolidating unchecked power, raising legal and ethical concerns, particularly given his federal contracts.

Musk is unpaid and may not be required to disclose financial interests.

  • CosmoNova@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    The richest man on the planet who once joked about ending world hunger is cutting federal spending of the richest and most powerful nation on the planet. Let that sink in for a moment.

  • jballs@sh.itjust.works
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    3 months ago

    “Elon can’t do and won’t do anything without our approval,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday.

    Any bets on how long it will be until Elon does something so unpopular that there’s blowback on Trump and it becomes “Elon acted on this alone and I had nothing to do with it.”

  • xzot746@sh.itjust.works
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    3 months ago

    So is there no conflict of interest with the companies he runs getting federal contracts? Don’t politicians need to put their companies into some type of trust where they can’t run it and make decisions that would be in their favour? I mean I know it doesn’t work like that with stick trading (cough cough Pelosi).

    • hydroxycotton@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      I brought up the conflict of interest to a trump coworker and he deadass said, “I get the conflict of interest, but I just don’t care.” The mask is fully off.

      Edit: not that I’m surprised, just depressed and somewhat bewildered

    • T00l_shed@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      Trump did away with the trust thing. And they let him because it wasn’t a law, it was just something that was understood to be done. No talk of him doing it this time either.

    • IhaveCrabs111@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      Company he runs? You really think he has time to run 5 companies while jerking off on twitter and now is spending his time jerking off in the treasury. The man just does what ever he feels. None of it is remotely called “work” he’s basically a walking jerk off

    • Nastybutler@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      I know you are joking, but he’s literally brought in sofa beds to his offices so he and his young minions can live there while they dismantle the government

      • CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world
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        3 months ago

        If he’s living there, I wonder if he’s still doing illegal drugs. Would be hilarious to have some DEA agents show up unannounced.