Last Tuesday marked an extraordinary event: President Trump stood alongside a gleaming electric vehicle at the White House, promoting its manufacturer, Elon Musk: “This man has dedicated his life and energy to this. I believe he’s been treated unfairly by a small group of individuals.”
For Musk – who invested approximately $300 million to aid Trump’s ascent to the presidency and has reportedly pledged millions more to support Trump’s political endeavors – this was a significant uplift for Tesla’s reputation and a display of support from the president. As he took the wheel, Mr. Trump enthusiastically noted, “Everything’s computers!”
Nationwide Tesla protests have emerged in response to the “Department of Government Efficiency” initiative, abbreviated as DOGE. As its leader, Musk has served as a close advisor, cost-reducer, and government contractor simultaneously.
When questioned about potential conflicts of interest due to Musk’s position in the Trump administration, Katie Drummond, global editorial director of Wired (the tech magazine that has uncovered recent stories related to Musk and his associates), remarked, “It’s evident that conflicts of interest exist across the board. Elon Musk himself represents a major conflict of interest.”
“Considering SpaceX, Starlink, Tesla – all these companies are regulated and monitored by various federal agencies,” Drummond elaborated. “Then remember, the individual who owns and oversees these companies is traveling on Air Force One with President Trump. Clearly, this presents a conflict of interest.”
After years of reporting on Silicon Valley, Wired was prepared to cover the rise of tech billionaires in the political arena. [Last year, the magazine endorsed Trump’s rival, Vice President Kamala Harris.]
However, during Trump’s inauguration in January, Musk and other Silicon Valley magnates were present.
When asked whether this indicated a new power structure in the U.S., Drummond replied, “This power structure has been developing over time. The inauguration served as a significant moment of recognition – a wake-up call for everyone in the U.S. – about who truly holds power in this country.”
And who holds that power? Elon Musk? Or President Trump?
“The technology sector,” Drummond answered. “When you consider the trillions of dollars involved in these companies and their influence, coupled with, essentially, collaboration with the federal administration – or at least a readiness to work alongside the Trump administration – that’s what we are about to witness.”
Newt Gingrich, a Republican former Speaker of the House and a long-time Trump associate, was asked if he is worried about potential conflicts of interest due to Musk’s extensive business dealings with the federal government. Gingrich responded, “You always need to be aware of conflict of interest risks, but I would argue that being this wealthy means he doesn’t need to manipulate the system.”
When asked who has oversight of Musk right now, Gingrich replied, “Donald J. Trump. He is the chief executive officer of the United States, elected by the American populace, and is functioning as the President of the United States.”
Gingrich gained notoriety decades ago for his push to reduce the size of the federal government. Asked how today’s scenario differs, he stated that the government is “much more troubled” now than it was in 1995. “There has been a significant growth in bureaucracy, an increase in left-leaning ideologies, and much larger deficits,” he explained. “Trump has campaigned for 10 years and has found in Elon Musk the type of individual with the determination, resilience, and intellect to effectively confront the ‘deep state’ and instigate changes that would historically seem unfeasible.”
In the 1990s, Gingrich urged the Clinton administration to adopt conservative budget cuts. However, most reforms during the Clinton era came after extensive deliberation and congressional actions – a notable contrast to today’s events.
“Let’s be clear: Some individuals will suffer; let’s face it,” Gingrich mentioned regarding DOGE’s extensive reductions in federal programs and personnel across virtually all departments. “There will be layoffs, potentially of individuals who shouldn’t have been let go. Some contracts might be terminated that perhaps shouldn’t be.”
“Or some instances where government functionality declines,” I suggested.
“Then the question you need to ask is, on the whole, does the system need repairs, even if the process of fixing it poses risks of certain errors?” Gingrich pondered. “Because if you hesitate enough to minimize the chances of any mistakes, you’ll complete nothing.”
However, Elaine Kamarck, a scholar at the Brookings Institution in Washington, disagreed, stating, “You can’t simply eliminate entire groups of workers.”
What could happen if the government’s structure collapses? “People will die,” Kamarck remarked. “It’s that critical.”
In the 1990s, Kamarck was essentially the counterpart to Gingrich in the Clinton administration, overseeing an initiative called Rego: Reinventing Government. She noted that her approach significantly differed from DOGE’s strategy in the White House. “What Musk and Trump are doing is experimenting with executive power limits in ways we did not,” she stated. “We went through conventional channels: If we deemed a law needed modification, we approached Congress and sought their assistance.”
When asked if Democrats should collaborate with Musk and Trump, as they did with Republicans in the ’90s, Kamarck replied, “I believe Democrats should absolutely attempt to work with Musk where possible. The challenge is the complete lack of transparency. We have no idea who is being cut. There’s no justification for why these cuts are being made. They claim these individuals are wasteful? What does that even mean? We lack clarity on all of this.
“This appears to be a slash-and-burn method,” Kamarck asserted. “It lacks thorough planning.”
In a statement to “CBS Sunday Morning,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed that DOGE has maintained “exceptional transparency,” and that “President Trump has asserted he will not tolerate conflicts, and Elon has committed to recusing himself from any potential conflicts.”
Nevertheless, Katie Drummond from Wired emphasized that apprehensions about Musk persist … and for now, Elon Musk remains in a position of power.
“It’s abundantly clear, and I think it should be evident to anyone familiar with Elon Musk and his operational style over time, his work ethic and ambitions have no limits,” Drummond expressed. “It seems we are truly just at the onset of what could lead to a far-reaching transformation within these federal agencies and the federal infrastructure as long as Elon Musk is involved in this evolution.”
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Story produced by Ed Forgotson. Editor: Remington Korper.
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