My dear readers, I come to you today with a correction and an apology: In the past I have referred to billionaire Elon Musk as the leader of the Department of Government Efficiency. As it turns out, however, that's not the case — at least not on paper. In fact, as near as I can tell, there's no official head of the Department of Government Efficiency, and Musk has no official authority to direct it. The problem, though, is that Musk clearly been acting as though he's running it. His name has been used as a threat against federal workers who refuse to comply with DOGE staffers' orders. He's appeared next to President Donald Trump in interviews, including in the Oval Office, to highlight its work. His X platform has become the main announcement board for the changes that he's overseeing, potentially boosting its value enormously. And yet, there's no real grounding for Musk's power in the law — nor any clear opportunity for oversight of him or the project he's running. This is a preview of Hayes Brown's latest article. Read the full column here. |
