Elon Musk, the tech billionaire and unelected adviser to President Donald Trump, is asserting control over much of the federal bureaucracy and sensitive government computer systems despite lacking clear authority. The highest-ranking career official at the Treasury Department was pushed out after refusing to hand Musk’s team the keys to the government’s entire payment system and the $6 trillion in payments the system processes annually, including Social Security checks, tax refunds and Medicare benefits. Musk and his team have also seized control at the Office of Personnel Management and the General Services Administration, key institutions that function as the central nervous system of the U.S. government. “In any other situation, this would be called state capture, and people around the world would be condemning it,” says Democratic strategist Waleed Shahid, who writes in a new blog post that Elon Musk is staging a coup. We also speak with Lindsay Owens, executive director of the Groundwork Collaborative, who warns that Musk could be laying the groundwork for major tax cuts Republicans have promised that will disproportionately benefit corporations and wealthy people like him. “Elon Musk is going to pay for his tax cut with your Social Security,” says Owens.

There is a coup occurring now

  • Hegar
    263•1 month ago

    It’s a fascist coup.

    They took control of the judiciary some time ago, they recently seized the executive and now they’re destroying any remaining institutional power that can oppose them.

    The current regime is not legitimate.

    • kamenLady.
      40•1 month ago

      The current technically still is, but the regime they are transforming into won’t be anymore legitimate.

        • Hegar
          26•1 month ago

          Elon’s cash for votes scheme, the amount of russian money and planning on one side, plus there’s a decent chance that the fascists just committed direct electoral fraud as well.

        • @Xanthobilly@lemmy.world
          14•1 month ago

          No one has convincingly explained away the abnormally high number of bullet ballots and odd ballot switching at 500 votes in swing states like AZ, IMO.

      • @leadore@lemmy.world
        13•1 month ago

        It’s not legitimate because most of the stuff they are doing is plain out-and-out illegal. But like they (Don Jr., etc) said before the election, they were going to go ahead and do it anyway and dare anyone including SCOTUS to try and stop them. It’s going to come down to our military to choose a side.

        • @WoodScientist@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
          6•1 month ago

          Honestly, if this gets bad enough, I won’t be surprised if the military indirectly allows him to be removed by force.

          It’s incredibly rare for a tyrant to actually be removed by force by a mob of disorganized revolutionaries. When you see instances of this happening, what’s usually actually happening is that the military has lost all confidence in the dictator, and they simply stand aside and let the mob storm the palace.

          Think about just what a precarious situation Trump and Musk are going to find themselves in after they fire half the federal government. The DC metro area is going to be at a level of unemployment that dwarfs that of the Great Depression. The whole population of DC will be wanting to see heads on pikes.

          The military wouldn’t even have to intervene directly themselves. All they would have to do is stand aside and let the mob storm the gates. That exact scenario has brought down countless tyrants over the generations.

          Dictators don’t tend to meet good ends.

          • @leadore@lemmy.world
            5•1 month ago

            One thing I feel sure of is that at some point Trump will order the military to fire on civilians. I thought it would take some time to build up to that point, but I hadn’t factored the magnitude of the Musk variable into the equation. I’d love it if there really was a deep state that would step in and come to our rescue via some kind of “special operation”.

            • @Mirshe@lemmy.world
              3•1 month ago

              And the new SecDef can just throw out anyone who decides to get in the way or defy orders, no matter how illegal. They’ll keep digging until they either scare everyone into following orders, or they’ll deputize loyal GOP members as a sort of paramilitary (including their friends in the various militias).

      • Laurel RavenEnglish
        11•1 month ago

        Except the current “president” isn’t constitutionally eligible to hold the office after inciting insurrection, so no, it really isn’t legitimate even now

  • @MyOpinion@lemm.ee
    201•1 month ago

    Fully understand what is happening here in America. The far right has destroyed the rule of law and are just acting to destroy our government. Don’t let this happen to your country. Don’t let Elon Musk any where near your elections or near your country.

    • @conditional_soup@lemm.ee
      78•1 month ago

      Further, look and see what courting the rich and meritocracy has bought. This is the natural and probable consequences of decades and decades of austerity, privatization, and supply side economics. They’re telling you the same lies they told us, and telling you it will be different for you. It won’t be.

    • Sabata
      39•1 month ago

      Don’t let Elon Musk any where near your elections or near your country.

      A little late.

  • shoulderoforion
    177•1 month ago

    It’s not a coup if it’s not against the Leadership of a sovereign nation

    What it is, is a Constitutional Crisis led by the Executive Branch (Trump, and his minion Musk with Trumps permission and direction) disregarding Article I, Section 8, Clause 1 of the U.S. Constitution is known as the “taxing and spending clause.” Clause 2 is known as the “borrowing clause.”, against the Legislative Branch (Congress), which will ultimately be decided by the Judicial Branch (The Supreme Court)

    The very bad news is all 3 Branches of US Government are squarely in control of Republicans, since the last election in November, who are blindly supporting Trump

    • matlag
      58•1 month ago

      It still could be a coup inside the coup, where Musk takes control of so much of the administration that he can set the stage for a final coup to take down Trump and impose himself.

      • @NJSpradlin@lemmy.world
        25•1 month ago

        More than likely he’d just end up a puppet president. Musk wouldn’t need to sit in the seat if Trump did his bidding.

    • Rhaedas
      30•1 month ago

      It’s also a breach of the oath taken to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution. But an oath is only as good as the intent of the maker.

      • @Vinstaal0@lemmy.world
        1•1 month ago

        You can help strengthen an oat if you introduce a third party that punishes people who do not follow the oat. You see that with doctors, accountants and other protected jobs all across the globe.

        • Rhaedas
          1•1 month ago

          That’s actually something I have no problem with, other than the hypocrisy of making a big deal about having the bible be there but not using it. Other Presidents have used other things, or nothing when taking the oath. And so far it seems they all have done a better job than Trump. Can we get another asterisk or other mark to put beside his name in the history books? Boy, he’s got more than anyone.

    • @Grimy@lemmy.world
      27•1 month ago

      It’s not a coup if it’s not against the Leadership of a sovereign nation

      I don’t think that’s a prerequisite. We talk of military coups all the time and most of them are thoroughly domestic affaires.

      That doesn’t detract from the rest of what you said however.

      • shoulderoforion
        6•1 month ago

        you’re confusing the words sovereign and domestic in a way I don’t understand. again, a coup is the illegal taking and transferring of power from the leader of a sovereign nation to someone or a group of someone’s not duly empowered to assume that role. that’s not what’s transpiring currently. but we sure as shit are in the middle of a constitutional crisis between the executive branch and the legislative branch.

        • @TheReturnOfPEB@reddthat.comEnglish
          16•1 month ago

          This is not a courtroom, and your prescriptive weasel words are tiresome.

          This is a coup that started January 6, 2021, and is continuing now.

      • KichaeEnglish
        -5•1 month ago

        Trump cannot commit a coup, because he is already the head of state. Military coups occur when military generals step in to illegally claim the abilities of the head of state (or government) from someone else who had them legally.

        • @leadore@lemmy.world
          6•1 month ago

          Per the Constitution, the US government is comprised of 3 co-equal branches. The Executive Branch is only one branch, not the government itself, so technically its taking over of the entire government could be looked at as a coup. So far the other two branches are either cooperating (legislative) or sitting idly by (judicial), so we don’t know yet whether this is a coup by the executive or just the entire government saying fuck the Constitution, we’re done with that.

          You could also say, since this is supposed to be a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, that it is a coup against the people–but the problem there is that, assuming the election wasn’t interfered with, “the people” elected this government.

        • BarqsHasBite
          4•1 month ago

          There are many types of coup, it’s not limited to military coup. If Trump stays, it’s called a self coup.

    • @RunawayFixer@lemmy.world
      8•1 month ago

      It’s a self-coup, so people are correct in calling it a coup. It’s still in progress, so it’s not clear how much power the white house will end up usurping, but with what they’ve done so far, it’s imo already enough to call it a coup.

      From Wikipedia: A self-coup or coup from the top, is a form of coup d’état in which a political leader, having come to power through legal means, stays in power through illegal means through the actions of themselves and/or their supporters. The leader may dissolve or render powerless the national legislature and unlawfully assume extraordinary powers. Other measures may include annulling the nation’s constitution, suspending civil courts, and having the head of government assume dictatorial powers.

      https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-coup

      The wiki article also contains a long list of other historical self coups. Germany in 1933 is the most famous example.

    • modifier
      6•1 month ago

      I agree with you but am also mentally leaving room to swap who is whose minion, because that is not entirely clear to me at this point.

  • @randon31415@lemmy.world
    104•1 month ago

    Step 1: Remove all the inspector generals

    Step 2: Gain access to the U.S. treasury payment system

    Step 3: Lock out all the rest of the treasury staff

    Step 4: Impose a 25% Tarriff on your largest trading partners

    Step 5: Profit!

    Step 6: Realize Trump backed down on the Mexican Tarriffs because the president of Mexico called and stroked Trump’s ego.

    • Sippy Cup
      6•1 month ago

      Which is why the US has never actually staged a coup in a foreign country. Not many people know that

  • guldukat
    69•1 month ago

    Nah, everybody relax. Go to work, come home to your 2.3 kids. Everything is normal. President Musk is doing everything he can to take care of the immigrant and LGBTQ problem, the only problems the USA has. Men could be playing womens sports, guys. I mean it. Massive fucking problem.

  • @Pollo_Jack@lemmy.worldEnglish
    58•1 month ago

    2A thumpers defend school shootings as required to defend against tyrants. Tyrants literally in our buildings and giving nazi salutes? Nothing.

    • @endeavor@sopuli.xyzEnglish
      35•1 month ago

      Americans currently rereading the 2nd amendment: “Damn, if we could only use them outside of schools, things would be fixed quickly”

      • Sippy Cup
        21•1 month ago

        It’s weird that Jefferson literally demanded helpless children be shot in schools like that but hey that’s what the Constitution says so I guess we gotta let em do it.

        WHAT DO YOU MEAN SOMEONE TOOK A KNEE AT THE NATIONAL ANTHEM??!!???

    • @kava@lemmy.world
      18•1 month ago

      they won the election. now they are dismantling the levers of government. the goal is to weaken all other national institutions until eventually they can just ignore Congress or Supreme Court

    • Flying Squid
      18•1 month ago

      Exactly. He has every American’s personal details and total control of the nation’s finances. He really doesn’t need anything else.

  • @mhague@lemmy.world
    42•1 month ago

    Musk is who we deserve. The country that treats money as speech and corporations as people and bribery as political action has the worlds richest man controlling it. Finally, the world is making some fucking sense.

  • @naeap@sopuli.xyz
    30•1 month ago

    Are there no drug tests for political advisors or something?
    I’d have expected this for a position with much power - just like in the military.

    Or am I that far off here from reality?

    • kn0wmad1cEnglish
      61•1 month ago

      Musk has no clearance, wasn’t voted in, is uncredentialed, and unqualified.

      The fact that the government is just sitting back and allowing this is disgusting.

      All of it to line their pockets with what will be akin to monopoly money once they destroy the country.

      • @corsicanguppy@lemmy.caEnglish
        21•1 month ago

        government is just sitting back

        They fired a bunch of FBI and DoJ, so if they’re sitting back it’s because they’re unemployed.

      • @naeap@sopuli.xyz
        6•1 month ago

        That’s exactly what I don’t understand
        There are safe guards for exactly that shit in law (at least I think/hope so), but seemingly no one has the guts to step up

        But I have to admit, that I don’t know the American laws at all, and with that don’t know what their actual options are

        • @Kalysta@lemm.ee
          1•1 month ago

          The department of justice enforces the laws.

          Trump is currently the head of the department of justice.

          This is the problem

      • Tiefling IRL
        6•1 month ago

        They’re why they’re so gung ho about crypto. They want to make everyone’s money worthless while they hoard all the gold themselves.

      • teft
        3•1 month ago

        All of it to line their pockets with what will be akin to monopoly money once they destroy the country.

        People that rich have reserves in other currencies and precious metals. They don’t really give a shit if the US dollar crashes.

      • @naeap@sopuli.xyz
        12•1 month ago

        So, how can he even do all that shit and the organisations don’t just tell him to go choke on a dick?

        • @catloaf@lemm.eeEnglish
          25•1 month ago

          If they push back, that person gets fired and replaced by a toady who won’t.

        • @thefartographer@lemm.ee
          15•1 month ago

          Mostly because it’s so brazen and fucking insane that people don’t even know what to do about it. If someone walked into your office building while waving a knife around and shouted, “get the fuck out or I’m gonna start stabbing people!” what do you think you’d do?

          My guess is that everyone is going to run out because we’ve been engrained to recognize the mechanisms in place to prevent and protect from these types of things. Anyone thinking anything other than getting the fuck out would probably be thinking “it’s not worth it, let the police handle it.”

          Let’s say you start shouting, “that’s illegal, go choke on a dick! C’mon y’all, there’s only one of him and many of us; we can’t wait for the police, ACAB!!!” I’d probably commend you when I read the article or your obituary, but everyone else in the office is going to be concerned with saving themselves and letting whatever contingencies kick in.

          Everyone with the power to stop this is sitting on their hands while waiting for someone else to step up. And we, the people? We’ve been trampled and subjugated for so long that now that we’re being told to rise up, we don’t know how. “Rise up against the system you helped manufacture? How? Y’all arrest and kill us in droves just for threatening money, much less people in power.”

        • datendefekt
          12•1 month ago

          Not an American, but my guess is that they would have to sue and then discover that the judges are all toeing the party line.

      • @naeap@sopuli.xyz
        8•1 month ago

        Because I asked about a detail of how a foreign country runs their government?
        Sadly I do get all the shit news. I mostly wonder how this is even possible to happen in a normal state with functioning jurisdiction