Elon Musk understands astrophysics, yet he seems unable to grasp the strange laws of gravity which govern Washington politics. Last night, the world’s richest man confirmed what everybody in Washington already knew: his time as a ‘special employee’ in the White House is over and he’s leaving his formal role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). ‘I would like to thank @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending,’ he said. ‘The DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.’
Musk’s public resignation may have been a necessary response to one of his many ongoing legal challenges. This week, a district judge in Washington, D.C. ruled that a lawsuit alleging Musk and DOGE are illegally wielding power over federal government operations could move forward. It’s become imperative, then, that Musk proves that Team Trump’s defence is true: that he is, and always has been, a temporary employee within the administration.
At the start of Trump 2.0,
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