found that independents disapproved of Musk’s actions as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. Thirty-one percent approved of Musk’s actions, while 49 percent disapproved. Meanwhile, among moderates, 33 percent approved, and 54 percent disapproved.
Another Republican senator told The Hill that Musk’s buyout offer and his slashing of the federal workforce is causing chaos, adding that federal workers are calling Washington as they try to understand what the billionaire’s actions mean for them.
“There’s a lot of concern among my constituents. The concern is, ‘Who is this guy?’ He’s a billionaire, which puts him in a certain category. ‘How does he have the authority if he’s not elected by anybody to do what he’s doing?’” the senator told the outlet. . .
“There’s no doubt that the president appears to have empowered Elon Musk to go far beyond what I think is appropriate,” Republican Maine Senator Susan Collins said earlier this month.
Legal experts, Democrats, and state attorneys general have alleged that Musk’s cuts run afoul of the law and undercut congressional and judicial powers. . .Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, a Democrat, told The Guardian that: “In the U.S., we appeal rulings we disagree with – we don’t ignore court orders or threaten judges with impeachment just because we don’t like the decision. This is a coup, plain and simple.”
Democratic Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse told the outlet, “I think their claims that they’re going after waste, fraud, and abuse is a complete smokescreen for their real intentions.”
He said Trump’s removal of 17 agency inspectors general was like “firing cops before you rob the bank.”
“It’s pretty clear that what’s going on here is a very deliberate effort to create as much wreckage in the government as they can manage with a view to helping out the big Trump donors and special interests who find government obnoxious in various ways,” he added.
Amid reports that there was tension between Musk and the Trump White House, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Wednesday that "This is a unified team,” according to Reuters. “Elon Musk is serving at the pleasure of the president, just like everybody else on this team. He takes directives directly from the president of the United States."
The Independent has contacted the White House for comment.'
= new reply since forum marked as read