Technology empowers Musk in his crusade to override federal civil servants in his political campaign
In an unprecedented move, career civil servants in Washington are finding themselves displaced, as the line between politics and technology blurs under the influence of Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of SpaceX and Tesla.
The recent resignation of David Lebryk, a career Treasury official, has raised eyebrows, following reports that Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin granted access to the Bureau of Fiscal Service's computer system to a group of Musk's young aides. This move could potentially expose sensitive data such as Social Security numbers and bank account information of federal benefit recipients.
Yale historian Timothy Snyder has noted that this infiltration of Washington agencies by a small group of former Musk employees is different from ordinary coups, as it is nonviolent and digital in nature. Paul Barrett, deputy director of the Center for Business and Human Rights at New York University's Stern School of Business, agrees, writing frequently about technology and democracy.
The demonstrators include Democratic members of Congress, who have expressed concern over the displacement of career civil servants by a group of 20-something-year-old Silicon Valley engineers and coders. Protests have occurred at the headquarters of the Treasury Department, Office of Personnel Management, and U.S. Agency for International Development, targeting Musk and his perceived influence over President Donald Trump.
Musk's actions are aimed at controlling technology and intimidating bureaucrats to undermine the executive branch's ordinary functioning. This is particularly evident in his involvement in Project 2025, a conservative policy blueprint helping to shape the Trump agenda, which calls for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to be broken up and downsized, and for the work of the National Weather Service, a NOAA component, to be largely privatized.
However, it's not just the Treasury Department that's under scrutiny. Reports suggest that Musk's aides have attempted to access classified information and security systems at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and have reportedly succeeded in accessing the classified material they were seeking despite top agency security officials being put on leave.
Government worker unions are filing lawsuits to resist what appears to be an unabashed assault on the rule of law and long-established norms of governance. Yet, it remains unclear whether Trump and Musk would obey potential court rulings ordering them and their underlings to stand down.
Some civil servants are trying to resist, but their efforts have not been successful so far. The infiltration of Washington agencies is being executed by a group following directions from Musk, who understands that 21st century power is more digital than physical.
As of now, there are no publicly confirmed reports of any individuals in the U.S. Department of Justice being suspended or having resigned due to access by Musk's employees to government computer infrastructure involving personal data or actions to end congressionally mandated programs.
This chaotic campaign to disrupt government functions has the tacit blessing of President Trump, who seems to be using chaos as a means to enhance his own authority. As the situation continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how this unprecedented displacement of career civil servants will impact the future of governance in the United States.
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