As Elon Musk charges ahead with his hostile takeover of the federal government, those of us concerned about American democracy cannot wait for a savior. We must stand up and save ourselves. We already know Republicans in Washington won't stop the assault on our institutions. And Democrats are still trying to figure out an effective game plan to counter President Donald Trump's "flood the zone" agenda politically.
Trump has empowered Musk to overwhelm the system and dismantle the current administrative state. Through a made-up "agency" known as the Department of Government Efficiency or DOGE, Musk and his minions are wreaking havoc on the federal government. On Trump's behalf, they are attempting to access sensitive government databases, disrupting humanitarian assistance overseas and pushing to drastically reduce the federal workforce.
Musk has made it his mission to throw the U.S. Agency for International Development "into the wood chipper." Congress funds the foreign assistance agency to boost humanitarian efforts around the globe. It is a form of America
s "soft power," especially important as we seek to counter China's massive Belt and Road Initiative. However, with Musk's nudging, the Trump administration is working to dismantle USAID, an agency created after Congress passed the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. Congress also funds USAID.
This is a preview of Michael Steele's latest article. Read the full column here. For more thought-provoking insights from Michael Steele, Alicia Menendez and Symone Sanders-Townsend, watch "The Weekend" every Saturday and Sunday at 8 a.m. ET on MSNBC.
