Why Are Democrats So Angry About Cutting Government Costs?

Democrats are making fools of themselves as they throw their temper tantrums about the cuts in spending that Elon Musk and his Musk-eteers are suggesting. They claim that Musk is unelected as though he is the only “unelected” federal employee. Anyone who knows much at all about the federal government knows that there are many “appointed” employees.

The fact is that President Donald Trump appointed Elon Musk to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Trump supervises Musk, meaning that Musk reports to Trump, and Trump tells Musk which agency to audit. Victor Davis Hanson explained Musk’s role in the Trump administration: 

There’s a lot of controversy about Elon Musk, and let’s just dispel some of it right at the start. He is not a freelancer. He was appointed a government official. Donald Trump, by an executive order, created the Department of Government Efficiency, and he made Elon Musk the head of it…..

Elon Musk has statutory authority. This Department of Government Efficiency is not a Cabinet agency. He does not have to be approved by Congress. And it only is going to last until July 4, 2026. It’s not a permanent agency, but he has the same power, or lack of such, as the national security adviser, who does not have to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate….

As far as the executive orders that created the DOGE program and eliminated the U.S. Agency for International Development [USAID] – that was perfectly legal in itself. USAID was created by John F. Kennedy in 1961 by an executive order. There was a statutory direction for the president to disperse foreign aid into a comprehensive body, but it didn’t say USAID – he could do whatever he wanted.

And so, Donald Trump has decided to end autonomous USAID [by an executive order] and fold it into the State Department for disaster relief or poverty relief or famine relief.

But let’s get straight what Elon Musk is trying to do. He’s going through all of these agencies and finding waste and fraud. And he has executive authority to do so. The Democrats are suing on the principle that they have approved funds for some of these agencies and Donald Trump is not spending them. And they are also arguing that Elon must exist by an executive order and not a congressional statute….

As far as impounding funds, Joe Biden set the precedent. You all saw him on tape when he said, “SOB – the son of a ___ I went in, over there, to Ukraine and I said, ‘You’re not getting this billion dollars until you do this.’” Well, that money had been approved by Congress.

And when he became president, there was a statute that said, “Here’s the money to build the wall.”

And Joe Biden canceled the wall. That was illegal. But he came up with all these – “Oh, we have to do environmental studies, or on endangered species.” But he didn’t spend the money….

And so, again, there is a statutory authority for Elon Musk to do what he does. He has the executive order justifying his agency, his 20-some employees. And more importantly – there’s another thing no one talks about – Elon Musk is a controversial figure and everybody is attacking him. And whom are they not attacking? Donald Trump….