Summary
Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) will reportedly face a lawsuit from National Security Counselors shortly after Donald Trump’s inauguration.
The lawsuit alleges DOGE violates the 1972 Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), which mandates transparency, balanced representation, public access, and proper documentation for White House advisory committees.
DOGE, aimed at cutting $2 trillion in federal spending, has not followed these requirements.
Critics have called Musk’s budget-cutting goals unrealistic, as they would likely impact protected programs like Social Security and Medicare, which Trump has vowed to preserve.
I am legit curious, the department did not exist prior to the inauguration, it needs to be legalized first, with new laws and regulations that give it actual power, no? So how can they sue it the second after the inauguration of the new president?
Or does it magically get legal power and existence because 2 citizens (musk and trump) say so?
It seems like a rational move to sue, because it likely may never be given formal power and may be exercising it regardless. That’s because Trump will not ask for anyone’s permission to do a thing unless he absolutely has to.
Where we see institutional authority and mandate by following a process, Trump sees it as preemptive capitulation to restrictions on power. That’s why the firehose of falsehoods and insane conduct is so effective - it may sound trite to say it, but every crazy thing he says/does that is beyond our ability to hold him accountable is one additional thing he is beyond accountability for.
Ding Ding Ding.
And it gets the rest of its power from the Department of “What the fuck are you going to do about it?”