matwood 2 days ago

Let's suppose for a second you're right - Musk is just trying to do a transparent audit. Why do they feel to need to have DOGE and Musk operate outside of the usual channels for transparency?

https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-doge-white-house-layoff...

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/10/us/politics/trump-musk-do...

  • scarab92 2 days ago

    That's a good question, but not a legally necessary one.

    President has the discretion to make that call.

jgilias 2 days ago

Even if that advisor hires college kids with known links to The Com?

There are reasons behind some processes. Such as getting a security clearance to access sensitive data.

  • scarab92 2 days ago

    [flagged]

    • DonHopkins 2 days ago

      Then you will admit that President Trump has idiotically terrible and absolutely unethical judgement? Or do you want to defend that?

      • ModernMech 2 days ago

        We’ve come a long way from “Hillary shouldn’t be President because she has demonstrated a disrespect for national security information protocol” to “its Trump’s right as POTUS to disrespect national security information protocol”

procaryote 2 days ago

The reason they're now pretending that Musk is an "advisor" is that there are laws against what he proudly says he's doing, and Trump has said Musk is doing.

He can't lead a government department without being confirmed by congress. If he's just an advisor, he and his Musk Youth army can't actually give orders to government employees the way they've been doing, much less fire them.

If someone keeps lying every other breath for years and years, at some point you should stop taking their word at face value.

  • matwood 2 days ago

    We've had a lot of these in 3 weeks, but this is an emperor has no clothes on moment. DOGE is running around saying they have access because of Musk. Even Trump has a hard time saying anything else. Now they are saying Musk isn't really in charge and has no power. They also won't say who runs DOGE. Everyone knows it's bullshit, but people accept it. That's the real lesson from 1984, and here we are.

    I'm really at a loss how anyone still believes or supports these people.

dkjaudyeqooe 2 days ago

That's a gross misrepresentation of what's happening here.

We don't have to respect anything, except the law. Trump and Musk's actions are neither legal, ethical nor sensible. If you're of that mind then removing Musk and Trump via any legal or political means is not only acceptable but, if you care about your country, an imperative.

The biggest problem America has is how readily it normalizes incompetence and evil, to its detriment.

  • scarab92 2 days ago

    You’re clearly wrong.

    Trump, and every president before Trump, has had the authority to do exactly this.

    • dkjaudyeqooe 2 days ago

      No they don't. Do a bit of googling before you post. Trump's actions are in defiance of the conventions of government and the written constitution. It's not even a judgement call, it's bleedingly obvious.

cmurf 2 days ago

Is respecting the result of an election what Trump did for 3 months after he lost in 2020?

Trump ordered Mike Pence to overturn that election. Is that respecting the result of an election? When Pence refused the order, Trump sent a mob to have the VPOTUS assassinated and to stop Congress from doing its job. Not at all respectful.

This is a political party that went apoplectic about Obama wearing a tan suit, while insisting he was illegitimate, i.e. the racist lie of birtherism.

And then they elected a pussy grabbing rapist, felon, and vile insurrectionist.

I think they're getting all the respect they deserve.

TheSpiceIsLife 2 days ago

Anyone is quite welcome to escalate to whatever level they think appropriate in opposition to whatever they feel motivated by.

Just be aware of the consequences of failing, or succeeding.