Elon Musk and his Division of Authorities Effectivity have attacked a number of authorities companies, purporting to seek out waste and fraud. However these claims proceed to shortly collapse beneath impartial scrutiny, with “billions” in so-called financial savings turning out to be fraudulent.
On the identical time, the actual cuts that DOGE has put in place have damage strange folks in america and world wide. Cuts to companies like america Company for Worldwide Growth have lowered important funding for American farmers, and a number of contracts canceled by DOGE are undermining providers for navy veterans.
Musk has repeatedly claimed these actions are saving taxpayers cash and not too long ago wrote, “There are millions of minor savings that add up to billions of dollars cumulatively.”
However years earlier than he was gutting important providers and claiming to be in favor of saving tax {dollars}, Musk constructed his multi-billion-dollar empire on authorities handouts.
A Washington Put up examination of Musk’s enterprise affairs discovered that his firms acquired over $38 billion in authorities funds, from loans to contracts to tax credit, through the years. The Musk firms that benefited from this taxpayer financing embody Tesla and SpaceX.
Musk has been on the federal government dole for over 20 years and had essential help at each the federal and state ranges. Actually, as he was spending tens of millions to assist elect Trump within the 2024 election—crusading towards authorities spending within the course of—Musk took in no less than $6.3 billion from the federal government in that yr alone.
Each Tesla and SpaceX have been the topic of complaints about security, alleged discrimination, and different points throughout that point. Since Trump took workplace the federal authorities has curtailed oversight and investigations associated to the businesses.
But regardless of this historical past, the Trump-led Federal Aviation Administration not too long ago handed out a contract to Starlink, one other Musk firm. Starlink shall be utilized in methods managing airline security and was given the contract simply weeks after Trump gutted the company’s funding in range hiring, at the same time as a scarcity of air site visitors controllers continues.
The contracts increase severe considerations about battle of curiosity for Musk, however Trump not too long ago instructed Fox Information that the multibillionaire had been given a inexperienced gentle to revenue from the federal government at the same time as he purportedly works for it.
Musk has portrayed himself as a self-made entrepreneur, however that isn’t true. He’s a beneficiary of presidency handouts on a scale vastly outweighing what the common middle-class American receives. Empowered by Trump, Musk is undermining the protection web for these People whereas championing insurance policies that may lower advantages for folks with out the big fortune that he has entry to.
