Elon Musk’s involvement in government affairs, particularly in his fabricated Department of Government Efficiency position — a role that does not exist within any legitimate government structure and to which he was not elected or approved by Congress — is an unprecedented, extralegal appointment and a direct affront to democratic governance as well as a matter of national security.
Musk, a billionaire with a history of prioritizing personal and corporate interests over public well-being, now has undue influence in critical government functions. His unchecked access to sensitive national infrastructure, military contracts and energy policies poses serious risks. The American people did not vote for Musk, nor was there any congressional oversight in granting him this authority. It is utterly alarming that a single, unelected individual could wield such power without any accountability.
Beyond national security implications, Musk’s history of erratic decision-making, financial entanglements and alleged public manipulation of markets — including his direct financial interests in cryptocurrency, space exploration and defense contracts — raises serious ethical concerns. No private citizen should be permitted to insert themselves into government operations without the scrutiny and approval of our legislative branch.
Musk now has access to the Social Security number and confidential personal information of every taxpayer in the U.S.
If the news media don’t stand up and loudly tell the public what’s going on, our future isn’t going to be a very happy one.
— Lisanne Freese, Chicago
Monumental data breach
The Treasury Department has given Elon Musk access to data related to nearly all federal government payments — including Social Security, Medicare, income tax refunds and payments to federal contractors. Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, is not a government agency, and its members are not federal officials. Musk is a private citizen. Why does he now have access to sensitive private information of millions of Americans? And Musk has demonstrated that he has zero understanding of the operation of the federal government, yet he will be mucking about in the system that pays out $5 trillion per year in federal payments.
Finally, Musk’s companies SpaceX and StarLink are substantial federal contractors. Does anyone doubt that Musk will use his access to federal payment data to punish his competitors?
Congress needs to act now to stop what is essentially the largest data breach in U.S. history.
— Mark Deaton, Oak Park
The gutting of government
Thank you for the online article “Elon Musk tightens grip on federal government as Democrats raise alarms.” But it is not enough. Where is the headline about the illegal gutting of the federal government by Musk?
President Donald Trump has control of the White House, both chambers of Congress and the U.S. Supreme Court. Why is he dismantling our government outside the bounds of our system?
To quote historian Heather Cox Richardson: “The replacement of our constitutional system of government with the whims of an unelected private citizen is a coup. The U.S. president has no authority to cut programs created and funded by Congress, and a private citizen tapped by a president has even less standing to try anything so radical.”
This should be the story. When is the Tribune going to raise the alarm?
Please help save our democracy.
— Maggie Nerz Iribarne, Syracuse, New York
Exposing waste and abuse
The Democrats falsely scream apoplectically against the Department of Government Efficiency and Elon Musk, who under authority from the president are simply shining a light to expose waste and abuse in government agencies.
DOGE is acting as a counsel to the president. Nothing unconstitutional or dictatorial about that. Just the opposite.
The president and Congress have oversight and control of all funds to agencies per federal law.
— David N. Simon, Chicago
Any action is refreshing
Can any of my fellow citizens name a federal government agency that is a poster child for efficiency, relevance and customer service? Hmm. Thought so.
Then what is wrong with facilitating early retirements, accelerating performance-based terminations (with incentives) that might otherwise take years, and introducing a culture of meritocracy and accountability? While some of us may have gone about the execution differently, seeing any action at all is mighty refreshing.
One last point to President Donald Trump. There are many fine public servants who are tired of being marginalized as troublemakers whenever they offer opinions on efficiency of process. Trump should set up an electronic suggestion box in which federal employees can advise his team (anonymously if necessary) of duplication, logjams, relevance and turf wars. Also, solicit ideas from all employees on how government can be more responsive and innovative and recognize their contributions.
This crowd-wise approach would help Trump achieve his goals.
— Rich Baird, Palatine
Accountability for breach
Just a question I’ve been pondering. If a corporation has a data breach, there’s usually a resulting flurry of class-action lawsuits by the parties whose data was compromised. So, where are the law firms ready and willing to bring suit against Elon Musk and the federal government for breaching the data of millions of Social Security recipients and military members? This data was just handed over to an unelected individual and other individuals whose motivations and trustworthiness are completely unvetted.
No corporation could blithely get away with telling people it’s none of our business as to who they give our personal data to.
So if you want to treat government like a business, that should apply to the responsibilities as well as the advantages.
— Kate Romano, Huntley
An usurpation of power
So, President Donald Trump creates a new government department (normally the job of Congress), calls it the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and appoints his billionaire buddy Elon Musk as director. Musk then halts all shipments of aid to destitute countries where children are starving and people of all ages are dying for lack of medical supplies.
No Republican in either house has the guts to speak up on this usurpation of power? Will we be hearing from any of the evangelical Christians who turn a blind eye to all of Trump’s faults?
Jesus said: “As you did it to one of the least of these …”
— Dan McGuire, Bensenville
File class-action lawsuit
A private, unelected individual, Elon Musk, has been enabled by President Donald Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to have access to our private, privileged, sensitive information such as our Social Security payments, tax refunds and Medicare benefits. I share the concerns of other seniors and disabled individuals. I ask U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul to commence a class-action lawsuit on our behalf against such blatant criminality, which disregards our laws and the separation of the different branches of our government.
Musk is staging a coup, using tactics similar to those used by the autocratic Viktor Orbán of Hungary.
If we are to retain, let alone strengthen, our republic, then this cannot be tolerated nor be allowed to stand.
A republic is for and by the people; it is not a monarchy nor a dictatorship.
— Dana Briggs, Rockford
‘Low productivity’ jobs?
To the Office of Personnel Management managers who forced the agency’s staff to send the Jan. 30 memo to federal employees at President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s bidding: Follow your own advice and return to your “high productivity” private-sector jobs and leave “low productivity” federal staffers to do their jobs. Jobs such as protecting drinking water and air quality. Responding to toxic chemical spills and other natural and human-made disasters. Controlling air traffic. Fighting wildfires. Inspecting meat, poultry and eggs. Ensuring the safety of drugs and our food supply. Forecasting the weather, tracking extreme weather events, and yes, understanding and mitigating the impacts of climate change. Providing health care to our veterans. Processing Social Security and Medicare claims. Researching and tracking disease and preventing the next pandemic. Protecting consumers from predatory businesses and fraudsters. Managing our national parks, forests, wildlife refuges and vast public lands. Assisting farmers to improve yields and implement conservation practices. Providing assistance abroad to those in need and spreading (what used to be, at least) our values. Facilitating our energy future. And hundreds of other services provided by federal public servants with little public recognition.
But I’m sure those services won’t be missed when they’re no longer available, as they are “low productivity”.
As a retired federal employee, I am proud to have served among these dedicated “low productivity” workers.
— Milton Harvey, Buffalo Grove
Who is the chief executive?
If Elon Musk is making so many decisions about our country, does that make Donald Trump a PINO? (President in name only.)
— Tom Witte, Batavia
Shutting down USAID
Here we have Elon Musk, an unelected oligarch, who, along with his family, will never experience hunger or a lack of the best medical care available, cutting off food aid and medical care for sick and starving children by shutting down the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Neither he, or his puppet President Donald Trump, have the authority to do so, as USAID was established by Congress. But because of the self-serving cowardice of Republican representatives and senators, he is not being called out on it.
What a pathetic state this country is in.
— Michael Kundert, Sugar Grove
60 years of work gone
We have just witnessed the horrific spectacle of the world’s richest man arbitrarily and indiscriminately cutting off all operations of the U.S. Agency for International Development. This action has stopped starving children from receiving food and medicine, many of whom will die as a direct result. The cruelty and barbarism of this action shockingly overturns the purpose of USAID, which is to gain international support and influence for the U.S. in developing countries. China has been especially cunning in building influence among developing countries.
Sixty years of developing a massive and effective infrastructure around the world have been destroyed in a single weekend by Elon Musk and a handful of young techies. It is very difficult to imagine any justification for this wanton destruction of the integrity of the United States of America.
I applaud the Tribune for giving this travesty a front-page headline!
— Tom DeCoursey, Oak Park
Goodwill in our interest
Besides being illegal, completely shutting down the U.S. Agency for International Development is lunacy. While costing less than 1% of our national budget, it provides priceless assistance and goodwill throughout the world. It’s not just philanthropy; it’s in our national interest.
In its absence, other anti-American entities and nations will be invited to step in and sway influence against us. While there may be some wasteful spending, as it is a very large and multifaceted agency, you don’t treat an obese person by denying them all food until they die. You look carefully and make strategic changes to their diet.
And whatever happened to the bedrock idea of being a good neighbor? Where did Mr. Rogers go?
While it’s comforting to at last see the outrage by members of Congress and concerned citizens, where are the lawsuits to stop this insanity?
— David Wieck, Batavia
Surrendering to China
By closing down the U.S. Agency for International Development, we have forfeited the battle for humanitarian goodwill and President Donald Trump has surrendered to China.
— Pete Trotter, Glenview
Phyllis Fong’s resistance
Inspector General Phyllis Fong has been a dedicated worker at the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the past 22 years. She has done her job efficiently and competently. She was “fired” by President Donald Trump’s administration. She did not leave her post because it was not legal for Trump officials to fire her. There are procedures for firing people. She stayed. Security escorted her from the building.
I feel we are in Russia in the 1970s. My esteemed friend Vadim Levenson, a physician in Russia, would recount the doctors from his pathology department meeting every morning to see who was taken the day before.
This cannot stand. Of course, Democrats and the public should be strongly objecting to this. But we need all of our representatives in Congress to demand this illegal behavior stop and our faithful, essential servants returned to their post.
Please repeat the name: Phyllis Fong
— Mary Louise Kelly, Oak Park
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