Bryan Jones
Staff Writer
The actions of President Donald Trump as well as billionaire and ‘First Buddy’ Elon Musk have been a significant shift away from democratic principles that were established to govern the United States. Since the start of President Trump’s second term, a slew of established laws has been largely ignored, while the checks and balances of our various institutions have been completely undermined.
President Trump has already begun to make sweeping changes within our government, firing several federal workers and the inspector generals of over at least 15 different government agencies. He has done so without legally providing notice to Congress. Considering that these inspectors served as independent watchdogs that were tasked with identifying, correcting, and preventing misconduct within federal agencies, their removal is highly concerning. It effectively reduces oversight which can lead to unchecked executive action. Not only does this set an alarming precedent for future generations, but it also directly violates the Inspector General Act.
It’s also quite concerning that the President attempted to freeze a whopping $3 trillion in federal grants, loans and funding. This would’ve had far-reaching consequences concerning domestic programs and foreign aid, as well. While the move was ultimately blocked by U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan, there were concerns with it violating the Anti-Deficiency Act (ADA), which keeps federal agencies from withholding or misusing funds that were approved by Congress. The politicization of these resources is frankly alarming, leaving concerns for potential further attempts upon them.
Yet, President Trump is not the only one openly flouting our common law. ‘First Buddy’ Elon Musk’s continued influence in government affairs is cause for concern regarding law and ethics. As the leading figure for the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Musk has pushed for tax cuts and shifts in policy that would prove beneficial to his private businesses. Furthermore, his ultimatum of making federal employees justify their work with weekly, corporate-styled emails ignores the various processes of government operations.
The Space X owner, for all that he has done in life, is still an unelected official. Considering the vast wealth and influence he holds over US politics, allowing Musk such power without oversight is cause for concern. He also has access to sensitive government data, as a business owner no less. Also, there’s the fact that Musk is still of the head of or involved with major corporations, showing a clear conflict of interest between his role as an unelected government official, and an owner of multiple corporations.
It’s not only policy that is concerning with this administration, but also the language used. Trump’s own rhetoric, be it through interviews or tweets has been and still is concerning. While some of that can be dismissed as seemingly bluster, it does represent the pattern of President Trump making bombastic statements, only for someone unrelated to the matter needing to make a statement that the president’s words “lack context” or he was “just joking.” The normalization of this type of rhetoric further erodes trust in our elected officials, and further spreads divisiveness among the people.
Transparency, accountability and ethics are rapidly crumbling under the weight of the Trump-Musk administration. Through continual consolidation of governmental power, removal of oversight systems and using financial leverage against others for personal gain, the various institutions meant to serve the public are being openly undermined. It begets the questions: why is the average American not more concerned about this? Do people not know, or do they not want to? Is impotency so ingrained in American culture that a lack of action is still acceptable? If this administration is allowed to continue as is unchecked, then the future of America and its governance could be significantly altered for years to come.