this post was submitted on 07 Mar 2025
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politics

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Summary

Trump has ordered Elon Musk to scale back his aggressive government downsizing efforts, instructing him to use a “scalpel” rather than a “hatchet” when cutting the federal workforce.

Musk has faced backlash for mass firings, accidental cuts to critical programs, and staffing controversies.

Public approval of Musk’s role is declining, with concerns over his influence.

Despite Trump affirming Cabinet authority, he warned departments to make cuts or face Musk’s intervention. Lawsuits and internal resistance continue to challenge DOGE’s sweeping changes.

top 21 comments
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[–] TommySoda 64 points 3 days ago (2 children)

This sounded so reasonable I thought it was The Onion

[–] Keilik 6 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Who knows, perhaps they are learning to fear again

[–] [email protected] 25 points 3 days ago (1 children)

No, he's being upstaged, and that won't do.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 3 days ago

100% this. Musk has dominated the news for the first month of his presidency, i bet he’s fucking furious

[–] credo 2 points 3 days ago

My style of deal–making is quite simple and straightforward. I aim very high, and then I just keep pushing and pushing to get what I'm [actually] after.

This way, all future cuts will seem reasonable by comparison.

[–] [email protected] 37 points 3 days ago

“Public approval of Musk’s role is declining“

What public approval for what role?

[–] Misseuse 25 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Despite Trump affirming Cabinet authority, he warned departments to make cuts or face Musk's intervention. Lawsuits and internal resistance continue to challenge DOGE's sweeping changes.

This is the real meat of the article.

Musk makes changes to federal government.
Unelected private citizen and world’s richest parasite, so trump’s government is facing a swathe of lawsuits and they are afraid.
Trump orders the individual departments to do “exactly as Musk would do” or else he will get someone else to do their job for them.

Basically DOGE is too much of a lawsuit magnet so he’s threatening a broad selection of faceless government departments to do the exact same thing, in the hope it’s harder to trace and sue with class action

[–] notsoshaihulud 8 points 3 days ago

why would trump be concerned about law suits? "he is the law"

[–] Treczoks 16 points 3 days ago

He is trying to close the barn after all the horses left.

[–] [email protected] 28 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Musk is insufferable. I've been waiting for the Trump/Musk lover affair to end. This might be some of it.

I would LOVE for Trump to go all anti Musk and cancel SpaceX. I seriously think this is in the future and it's going to be glorious.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 days ago (1 children)

"I like Billionaires whose rockets don't asplode."

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago

I'd settle for rockets that explode with billionaires in them.

[–] hOrni 25 points 3 days ago

The dog trying to put a leash on his master.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

Trump's ego can't handle feeling like second.

Regardless of what is actually going on, Musk is dominating news cycles just as much or more than Trump.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 days ago (2 children)

This will become interesting because Project 2025 doesn't include plans for a third term. They want an "experienced CEO" so most likely Elon.

[–] notsoshaihulud 4 points 3 days ago

they want Vance. must is a useful idiot for them

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Elon isn't a natural born American citizen. Hell, if they start revoking citizenship for people who lied, he's first on the chopping block.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 days ago

Assuming they give a fuck about any of that. Which I'm fairly sure they don't.

[–] Wispy2891 10 points 3 days ago

I almost feel sorry for that Amy scapegoat that will take the fall instead of Elmo

[–] [email protected] 11 points 3 days ago

Keep pushing and putting pressure. This is a sign that Trump (or more likely people close to Trump) are starting to see the pressure as more serious. He's seeing backlash from lawsuits & the courts, federal worker unions, protests and people getting loud as hell at Republican town halls, etc.

Don't take their word as truth here instead take it as a sign they might actually be starting to see him as a threat to their power / approval

[–] [email protected] 11 points 3 days ago