Quick summary
• Trump signed an executive order giving Elon Musk-led DOGE control over federal hiring, allowing it to block career appointments and push large-scale workforce cuts.
• DOGE operates as a shadow government, infiltrating agencies, accessing sensitive data, and making policy decisions without transparency or oversight.
• Musk, who simultaneously leads SpaceX, Tesla, and X, holds a “special government employee” status, shielding his financial disclosures from public view.
• Federal agencies affected include USAID, CFPB, the Department of Education, NOAA, and the Treasury Department, with Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security potentially next.
• Critics, including Senator Bernie Sanders, call Musk’s role “illegal and unconstitutional”, warning that billionaires are waging a war on the working class.
• Musk, Bezos, and Zuckerberg control major media platforms, influencing public discourse while billionaires consolidate power in government.
• Legal and congressional challenges are expected, but if unchecked, this executive order could permanently reshape American democracy by placing private sector elites in control of public governance.
In a move described as a “complete takeover” of the federal government, President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order that grants an Elon Musk-led commission, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), sweeping power over non-military federal hiring and operations. The order, which mandates agency heads to consult DOGE before making career appointments, effectively places Musk—a billionaire business magnate with direct financial stakes in multiple industries—at the center of federal workforce decisions.
The implications of this unprecedented consolidation of power are staggering. DOGE has already gained access to sensitive government data, influenced policymaking across key federal agencies, and pushed for large-scale job cuts that will impact public services nationwide. Critics warn that this order transforms DOGE into a shadow government, operating without oversight, transparency, or accountability.
Trump, flanked by Musk in the Oval Office, called the order “very important” and dismissed concerns over legality or public pushback. Musk, leading DOGE while simultaneously running SpaceX, Tesla, and X (formerly Twitter), denied that his role amounted to a “hostile takeover” but insisted that “the public voted for major government reform, and they are going to get what they voted for.”
However, reporting from The Guardian contradicts Musk’s claims of transparency, revealing that DOGE operates under a veil of secrecy and refuses to disclose key details about its staff, internal structure, or Musk’s financial disclosures.
The executive order’s provisions grant DOGE unprecedented power over federal hiring and workforce reductions, including:
• Mandatory consultation with DOGE for all new career appointments within non-military federal agencies.
• DOGE’s authority to veto new hires unless agency heads override with justification.
• A directive to federal agencies to prepare for “large-scale” workforce reductions.
“It’s a complete takeover of the federal government by Musk,” investigative journalist Carole Cadwalladr wrote in response to the executive order.
With DOGE’s unchecked authority over hiring, staffing, and budgeting, the order effectively grants Musk control over the shape and function of the federal workforce. DOGE has already infiltrated multiple agencies, gaining access to confidential government data and influencing decision-making without public accountability.
DOGE’s secrecy and lack of transparency have raised alarm. According to The Guardian, Musk and his inner circle have actively concealed the structure, staffing, and decision-making processes of DOGE. Key concerns include:
• Unknown number of staffers: Estimates suggest DOGE has around 40 personnel, but the true number remains undisclosed.
• Concealed identities: DOGE members have refused to give their last names to career officials within the agencies they have infiltrated.
• Musk’s special government employee status: This designation allows him to avoid publicly disclosing financial conflicts of interest.
Josh Marshall of Talking Points Memo described DOGE’s structure as functioning like a “shadow government”, arguing that Musk’s authority makes him “functionally the president or perhaps something more like a prime minister.”
DOGE’s rapid intervention in federal governance has already disrupted key agencies, including:
• U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)—foreign aid operations have slowed.
• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)—reduced enforcement of financial regulations.
• Department of Education—proposed cuts to public education programs.
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)—environmental monitoring facing setbacks.
• Treasury Department payment systems—critical infrastructure for government financial operations at risk.
Senator Bernie Sanders has warned that Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security could be next, raising fears that the Musk-led overhaul could target social safety net programs relied upon by millions of Americans.
“As we speak, right now, Elon Musk, the wealthiest man on the planet, is attempting to dismantle major agencies of the federal government which are designed to protect the needs of working families and the disadvantaged,” Sanders said. “These agencies were created by the U.S. Congress and it is Congress’ responsibility to maintain them, to reform them, or to end them. It is not Mr. Musk’s responsibility. What Mr. Musk is doing is patently illegal and unconstitutional—and must be ended.”
Musk’s role as de facto overseer of federal hiring and agency restructuring has raised serious constitutional concerns.
• The executive order allows a private citizen to exert direct control over public governance, bypassing congressional authority.
• DOGE’s involvement in hiring decisions raises legal challenges over violations of federal employment laws.
• Democracy Forward, an advocacy group, has vowed to pursue all legal options against the order.
Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, condemned the executive order, stating:
“This latest attack on public service gives Elon Musk, an unelected, hyper-partisan billionaire, unfettered authority over this country’s civil service.”
Senator Sanders has warned that Musk’s role in the federal government is part of a broader trend of oligarchs consolidating power.
“We are living in an extremely dangerous time,” Sanders said. “Future generations will look back at this moment—what we do right now—and remember whether we had the courage to defend our democracy against the growing threats of oligarchy and authoritarianism.”
He also pointed to the billionaire takeover of media and information platforms, noting that:
• Musk controls X (formerly Twitter)
• Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post and Twitch
• Mark Zuckerberg runs Meta (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp)
“They will use the enormous media operations they own to deflect attention away from the impact of their policies while they ‘entertain us to death,’” Sanders warned.
The growing influence of Musk and DOGE raises critical questions about the future of American democracy:
• Will further executive orders expand private sector control over government functions?
• Will Congress challenge Musk’s control over federal agencies?
• Can legal challenges undo the sweeping authority granted to DOGE?
For now, Democracy Forward and other advocacy groups are preparing legal action, while lawmakers and activists are calling for increased oversight and transparency.
Trump’s executive order marks a radical shift in federal governance, empowering an unelected billionaire to reshape the U.S. government without accountability.
Critics warn this is the most significant power grab by an oligarch in modern American history. If unchecked, the implications of this Musk-led shadow government could redefine the balance of power in the United States for generations to come.
Call your Congressmember today and ask them what they’re doing to stop Elon Musk’s coup.
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