Presidents and other leaders have always had advisors by their sides — generally learned individuals in their specific fields of endeavor, chosen to augment the leader’s own expertise and . . . here’s the key word . . . to advise on matters of importance.

Not to walk in and take charge; not to form cadres of mercenaries to storm the government agencies and decimate them regardless of the stupidity, the illegality, or the unconstitutionality of their actions; not to dictate foreign policy; and not to upstage the leader at a press conference while dressed in a logo tee shirt and baseball cap and carrying a four-year-old child on their back.

Not like this guy:

The entire population of the United States — in fact, the entire world — is agog at the audacity of Elon Musk’s actions since Donald Trump’s return to the White House on January 20th of this year. He may be the world’s richest individual; but no one elected him President. In fact, they couldn’t . . . because he was not born in the USA.

Yes, he is a naturalized U.S. citizen, and as such can hold public office. But he cannot be President or Vice President; nor has he been elected or appointed/confirmed to any legitimate office. Yet he has usurped powers that rightfully belong to those who have.

Perhaps if his actions were the least bit beneficial to the welfare of the country, they might be tolerable. But he has already created chaos in vital government agencies that are relied upon for the health, safety and welfare of our country and its people. With his symbolic chainsaw, he has placed at risk the livelihoods, and even the lives, of countless thousands — perhaps millions — of individuals and families.

As crazy as it may sound, he seems to be intent on wiping out the entire population of the United States who are not in his tax bracket. (Except that we pay our fair share of taxes, while he . . . well . . . doesn’t.)

But are we now seeing the first crack in the foundation of his political adventure? Has his unprecedented $280,000,000 investment in Trump’s campaign run out? One can only hope.

Because on Thursday, Trump called an impromptu meeting of his cabinet secretaries to discuss Musk’s slashing of government spending and personnel. And that meeting is reported to have been anything but pleasant. Musk accused Secretary of State Marco Rubio of “failing to cut enough staff at the State Department,” and then had a set-to with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy over “whether Musk’s . . . [DOGE] task force had tried to lay off air traffic controllers who were already in short supply in the Federal Aviation Administration.” [Anthony Zurcher, BBC, March 8, 2025.]

And when the dust settled and Trump finally spoke up, he said that — while he still supported DOGE — hereafter the cabinet secretaries would be in charge of their respective departments, with Musk’s team to advise.

There’s that word again . . . the one that Musk doesn’t take kindly to. In his mind, he is No. 1 — not just an advisor. But following the meeting, Trump said in the Oval Office that cabinet members should decide whom to cut, but that if they didn’t, then Musk would do the job:

“I had a meeting, and I said I want the cabinet members to go first. And if they can cut it’s better, if they don’t cut, then Elon will do the cutting.” [Id.]

Okay, so it’s a half-assed decision; but it’s a step — albeit a small one — in the right direction. And it’s the first time we’ve heard Trump make any statement that wasn’t 100% behind Musk. So I guess we’ll take what we can get for now, and hope that the next temblor turns out to be the big one that dismantles DOGE completely and sends Elon Musk back to the Land of X, where he can return to playing with his rockets and counting his money.

And the people of the United States — the ones who actually make this country work — can get on with their lives.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
3/9/25