Elon Musk and his Division of Authorities Effectivity have attacked a number of authorities businesses, purporting to search out waste and fraud. However these claims proceed to shortly collapse below unbiased 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 abnormal individuals in america and all over the world. Cuts to businesses like america Company for Worldwide Growth have diminished 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 lately 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 Submit examination of Musk’s enterprise affairs discovered that his firms acquired over $38 billion in authorities funds, from loans to contracts to tax credit, over time. The Musk firms that benefited from this taxpayer financing embrace Tesla and SpaceX.
Trump and Musk
Musk has been on the federal government dole for over 20 years and had essential assist at each the federal and state ranges. In truth, as he was spending hundreds of thousands to assist elect Trump within the 2024 election—crusading in opposition to authorities spending within the course of—Musk took in not 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 lately handed out a contract to Starlink, one other Musk firm. Starlink shall be utilized in programs 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 visitors controllers continues.
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 can minimize advantages for individuals with out the big fortune that he has entry to.
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