this post was submitted on 03 Feb 2025
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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.

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[–] hperrin@lemmy.ca 21 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Trump hires immigrant on welfare.

[–] ZILtoid1991@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Also "special" sometimes used as a slur for the neurodivergent, so he's also a DEI hire.

[–] 100_kg_90_de_belin@feddit.it 3 points 1 day ago

If you want to get cancelled call him >!cishet!<

[–] endeavor@sopuli.xyz 32 points 1 day ago (1 children)

No no, not a coup, a special government operation )))))l

[–] chuckleslord@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago

As Jon Stewart said "it has been done within the confines of our legal system, therefore it's not fascist"

[–] Norgoroth@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I heard the second amendment was made for special situations

[–] 100_kg_90_de_belin@feddit.it 4 points 1 day ago

The militia is busy fighting the woke mind virus

[–] SoftestSapphic@lemmy.world 26 points 1 day ago

Nothing will meaningfully improve until the rich fear for their lives

[–] Lucidlethargy@sh.itjust.works 34 points 1 day ago

Like... Like a super special employee? An S.S.?

[–] jballs@sh.itjust.works 40 points 1 day ago (1 children)

“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."

[–] w3dd1e@lemm.ee 23 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I insist on only calling him President Musk because I know when he takes enough attention and credit from Trump, Trump will get mad and tell Elon to fuck off.

[–] Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

It will be glorious if it blows back so hard that Musk ends up in prison.

[–] w3dd1e@lemm.ee 13 points 1 day ago

We can only hope. This morning, I saw multiple news articles with “President Musk” in the title. I suspect it’s intentional for that reason. But at minimum, I hope it’s starting.

[–] ptz@dubvee.org 144 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (3 children)
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[–] xzot746@sh.itjust.works 45 points 1 day ago (3 children)

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 20 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day 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

[–] IhaveCrabs111@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

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

[–] AngryRobot@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

It's still a massive conflict of interest.

[–] T00l_shed@lemmy.world 19 points 1 day 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.

[–] wagesj45@fedia.io 83 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Does that mean his communications will be subject to FOIA?

[–] ShepherdPie@midwest.social 66 points 2 days ago (3 children)

Fat chance. I read he brought in his own server and connected it to the network at the OMB to spam emails to federal employees. That seems highly illegal.

[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 33 points 1 day ago

Gosh, I remember a quaint time in the olden times when having your OWN EMAIL SERVER was something worthy of being lined up against a wall and shot for.

Guess that only applies to Democratic candidates for President named Hillary.

Also, and it bears repeating - I guess this would have been jUsTaSbAd under Kamala, because something something neoliberal argle bargle status quo genocide....

[–] Tyfud@lemmy.world 48 points 2 days ago

Legality is just words on a piece of paper if nobody is going to enforce it.

[–] wagesj45@fedia.io 12 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I tend to agree, but we should at least try. Pull every lever of governance we have for as long as we have it.

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[–] Cort@lemmy.world 17 points 1 day ago

Doubt it. I bet they'll try to classify any of his communications as presidential advice, which would make them privileged communications not subject to foia

[–] Eeyore_Syndrome@sh.itjust.works 74 points 2 days ago

He failed background check.

[–] CosmoNova@lemmy.world 54 points 2 days ago (1 children)

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.

[–] NaibofTabr@infosec.pub 44 points 2 days ago (1 children)

And they were in an awful hurry to kill USAID.

[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 17 points 1 day ago

That's probably just a trial run. They are floating the idea of killing the Department of Education now.

[–] ExtremeDullard@lemmy.sdf.org 54 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (5 children)

Not good enough.

Just because Trump declares him special doesn't mean he is, or that he should have special privileges, anymore than his moronic cabinet picks can start moving their shit into their offices before being confirmed by the Senate.

[–] joyjoy@lemm.ee 32 points 2 days ago (5 children)

And being special doesn't excuse him from being a nazi.

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It's legal because I said so

[–] Randomgal@lemmy.ca 29 points 2 days ago

But he's autistic guys! We're all misunderstanding, there is no Nazi coup going on.

[–] xc2215x@lemmy.world 25 points 2 days ago

Elon is special. Not in a good way though.

[–] Talaraine@fedia.io 24 points 2 days ago (1 children)
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[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago

He's special, alright.

[–] catloaf@lemm.ee 21 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I have to admit, president musk was not on my bingo card.

[–] 1024_Kibibytes@lemm.ee 21 points 2 days ago

It's been on my Bingo card since I realized that he basically bankrolled Trump's campaign by himself. He set up a PAC just to win the election.

[–] thefartographer@lemm.ee 15 points 2 days ago (1 children)
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[–] foggy@lemmy.world 15 points 2 days ago

He is public enemy #1

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