Elon Musk Suddenly Doesn't Want Credit for Disastrous DOGE Cuts

[Native]

Source: The New Republic

Elon Musk is claiming that the Department of Government Efficiency isn’t actually behind the sweeping cuts to the federal workforce, instead placing the blame on the agency heads who order the firings.

Republican Representative Derrick Van Orden told CNN that during a private meeting with GOP lawmakers Wednesday, Musk told the group that the recently announced elimination of more than 70,000 jobs at the Department of Veterans Affairs “wasn’t a DOGE decision.”

The billionaire bureaucrat has claimed this defense to his organization’s cost-cutting measures before, saying that DOGE simply makes recommendations for cuts to agency heads, and then it’s up to those heads to execute them. It’s unclear what fate would befall the agencies that failed to act in accordance with DOGE directives or the Trump administration’s mission to shrink the federal workforce.

However, Musk privately acknowledged that he’d made some massive missteps, and that he “can’t bat a thousand all the time,” four people familiar with his remarks told Politico. But when Musk misses a swing, people lose their livelihoods.

Read more: https://newrepublic.com/post/192415/elon-musk-warns-republicans-doge-job-cuts

[durablend]

1. "Wasn't meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

The guillotine doesn't care about excuses.

[tanyev]

23. "It's just a coincidence it was done the exact same way I gutted Twitter!"

[The Blue Flower]

2. Blowback is working!

Keep it up, good people!

[Justice matters.]

47. F-Elon is suddenly afraid of the hundreds of lawsuits coming his way...

His ill-earned tax cuts may not be enough to cover the costs...

[Gore1FL]

3. "can't bat a thousand all the time,"

He's at a point where approaching Bob Uecker's lifetime stats is a pipe-dream.

[spooky3]

5. LOL! "I'm in the FRONT row..." nt

[rampartd]

12. well below the "mendoza line"

wikipedia

The Mendoza Line is baseball jargon for a .200 batting average, the supposed threshold for offensive futility at the Major League level.[1] It derives from light-hitting shortstop Mario Mendoza, who failed to reach .200 five times in his nine big league seasons.[2] When a position player's batting average falls below .200, the player is said to be "below the Mendoza Line".

[spooky3]

4. Sounds like an 8 year old holding a bat and talking to Mommy about

The window broken by a baseball.

[unblock]

6. That's been the official story all along.

Musk supposedly doesn't have any formal authority, but he says cut and Donnie says to the agency head do whatever musk says and the agency implements to cuts.

Musk has the authority in practice, but they hide behind the bureaucratic formalities when it suits them.

[Native]

10. you nailed it. the article says it's unclear what fate would befall agency heads who failed to comply,

so....being fired and escorted out of a building doesn't send a message? seems pretty fucking clear to me! death threats? also pretty fucking hard to spin those.

[valleyrogue]

17. He has NO authority at all.

This isn't about "supposedly." He DOESN'T.

[unblock]

18. Officially he has no authority

In practice, if department heads are forced to do what musk says, then yeah, he has authority.

[SheltieLover]

56. Absolutely!

[Bengus81]

7. What's the matter Musk,look at Tesla stock price today? Down $18.20 right now

However, Musk privately acknowledged that he’d made some massive missteps, and that he “can’t bat a thousand all the time,” four people familiar with his remarks told Politico. But when Musk misses a swing, people lose their livelihoods.

No shit Sherlock..........

[Baitball Blogger]

8. Musk has sniffed the wind and knows the Come Around stage is blowing in his direction.

[SheltieLover]

57. Yup

[Irish_Dem]

9. Psychopaths and narcissists always blame others.

They are never responsible for their crimes or mistakes.

[FakeNoose]

31. In a circular firing squad, nobody has to admit they're wrong

[bronxiteforever]

11. I believe this is all about civil liability

They are trying to duck the fact that they are acting as federal officials. The responsibility for firing people in federal positions and who did and their authority and who gave them their authority will all be part of litigation that fired people will institute.

[BrianTheEVGuy]

24. Yep!

If I was wrongfully terminated in a defamatory fashion as a federal employee, I wouldn’t waste time in civil litigation against the bureaucracy.

I’d go for the super wealthy dude worth $400 billion who just got called out as the guy “leading DOGE” just a week after his lawyers insisted he wasn’t in charge.

Many more assets and a much higher change of an attorney who will work on contingency.

There are over 220K people who have been illegally terminated by FElon. That’s a LOT of civil litigation!

[valleyrogue]

39. I hope they take that lunatic for everything he's got. n/t

[LiberalArkie]

43. Did Musk finally realize that he has no immunity?

And that unless he destroys the US, he is going to jail which of course destroys his wealth.

[Justice matters.]

48. But you know, he's in the top tier of the two-tier justice system...

You know, the tier where the rich are above all laws.

The other tier is for the rest of us, where selling a cigarette on a boardwalk gets the immediate death penalty after 8 minutes of suffering.

[BrianTheEVGuy]

61. True but

Even if the court lets him off the hook over and over again, that’s a lot of litigation and stress. It will take its toll.

[NJCher]

53. This and a taxpayer class action

The taxpayer class action is being researched by Jamie Raskin. He is going to be releasing more details soon. There was a video posted here in which he talks about it.

I don’t know about you but when Jamie Raskin speaks, I listen. He is a noted constitutional scholar.

[SheltieLover]

59. Raskin is a great official & brilliant!

I hope they sue both felons & all involved for everything they own.

🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞

[tulipsandroses]

29. Yep. Trying to make sure his actions stand up in court. The GOP cowards will turn around and rubber stamp

whatever cockamamie thing he comes up with.

[yellow dahlia]

35. Hmmm. n/t

[SheltieLover]

58. Absolutely!

[madaboutharry]

13. Musk is as much a coward and weakling as Trump.

They are just like all other bullies. Last week he was dancing around on a stage swinging a chain saw in the air while filled with pride over all the damage he was doing. Fast forward today and he his pointing the finger and blaming others. Typical narcissist.

Fuck this guy.

[sinkingfeeling]

14. Now I understand what a "clusterf*ck" really is. This administration.

[valleyrogue]

15. Have any of the "cuts" actually become reality?

All I hear are lawsuits filed. DOGE has NO authority for ANY "cuts."

[James48]

21. Yes.. many people fired, many contracts cut.

Musk’s people are doing most of it- telling Agrnciez if they don’t let them go tinker inside their computer systems, they. Are going to call SiyDafdy Musk, and the federal Marshall service to enforce.

[valleyrogue]

38. It's mostly probationary employees.

Most of it, though, appears to be horseshit thanks to all the lawsuits.

[C Moon]

16. He's getting scared. Realizing that he isn't a super hero. And not as loved as he'd imagined.

[Martin68]

20. Also realizing he doesn't know as much as he thought he knew.

[SheltieLover]

60. Possibly also coming to fhe realization tesla stock keeps tanking

There are protests at many tesla dealerships & charging stations have been set ablaze...

This could possibly be his first encounter with the fact that actions have consequesces.

[Martin68]

19. Sounds like the Ketamine speaking. Where's the guy with the chainsaw? Like many businessmen, Musk is totally

ignorant of how government works and what it does - other than using the tax code and federal got green energy and the space program incentives to increase his wealth.

[Cha]

22. Yeah? Fuck OFF Nazi boy.

[mcar]

25. The finger pointing begins

Also today, Agent Orange called in his cabinet to tell them that Musk doesn't have authority to fire anyone - only they do. Clown show.

[Karasu]

26. Then abolish fucking DOGE. Do away with this fiction. But we all know that's the last thing he'll do.

[exboyfil]

27. The buck never got to me

[Brother Buzz]

28. Dude already has his pecker marks over EVERYTHING

Methinks the asshole will be looking at thousands of upcoming civil lawsuits.

[riversedge]

30. 'Musk is warning Republicans to stop blaming DOGE for the cuts.'

Well, geezzzzzzzzzzzz!! Lets just shift the blame around.

[tavernier]

32. Hey Rocket Man

Is there anything you’re good at?

[Scrivener7]

33. Ass boil.

[creon]

34. idiot

Musk is an idiot.

What is the reason for the relationship between Trump and Musk?

[valleyrogue]

37. Both are graduates of Wharton Business School,

which isn't a good advertisement for said school.

[creon]

40. THat does not mean very much.

A business degree is not very much of a challenge.

[valleyrogue]

36. Go back to South Africa, Eloon.

You aren't wanted here.

[TomSlick]

41. If you shit in your mess kit, you get to eat it.

[AmericaUnderSiege]

42. "Can't bat a thousand"? Asshole, you've been on the wrong path for years!

Get off the fucking drugs, and go back to helping relieve climate change!

[mahatmakanejeeves]

44. Not me! Ida know!

[Aussie105]

45. Midas touch . . .

Musk believes in his own infallibility.

Whatever he does, is good, and those who don't agree are clearly his enemies.

But the reverse Midas touch applies to both Trump and Musk, everything they touch crumbles into dust.

And both resort to it-wasn't-me-isms, or just straight out telling of fibs.
Believe me, both Trump and Musk can distort the fabric of reality, as well as space and time, like no one else.

[Kablooie]

46. Maybe he's become worried about Tesla.

The blowback is huge and getting bigger.

[Justice matters.]

49. Should have thought about that before...

acting like a irresponsible juvenile clown (at his age).

Vanity is a destroyer.

[KatyaR]

50. Ladies and gents, the Steve Urkel of the federal government.

"Did I do that?"

[wcmagumba]

51. Another of his "Starships" just blew up with the parts strewn all over the Caribbean and seen by thousands...

As with all his exploits, the guy is a loser, just like Trumpy....lucked into riches but still an idiotic douche bag.

[BoRaGard]

52. Weasley republicon wankers

pathetic

[moniss]

54. All a performance so the lawyers for DOJ in the court cases

can say "See he really isn't doing it and so it's not illegal."

[AllaN01Bear]

55. the rs go sputter sputt sputt. according to my late mom

[Hassler]

62. If everything Chump touches dies, yhen

Everything Leon touches crashes and burns--cars, rockets, federal government, stock market, etc...