Rachel Maddow: How, the way things are different, um, is by the, the tech gloss on what they’re doing. And I say it’s a gloss because they’re really trying to make us think of what they’re doing in these terms. You might have seen Elon Musk making a speech at a big international conference this week in which he wore a T-shirt that said tech support. It’s not a flattering look, but he thought it was hilarious. He tried to say, this T-shirt was a very funny joke, that he is White House tech support. You know, for our generation of Howard Phillipses. Our generation of the, let’s kill the US government and we don’t care if it’s legal or not. Our guys have claimed the right to do what they’re doing, not just because of their wild eyed zeal against the US government and the US system of governing. They have claimed the right to do this. They’ve sort of claim that their legitimacy comes from their tech savvy because they’re so good with computers. So we’re all supposed to know, get out of their way, or we’re supposed to be intimidated or at least confused by what exactly they’re doing, because, wow, it’s such a high level, right? It’s so high tech. They’re so tech savvy, so competent, so good at what they’re doing.
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Here’s a clear breakdown of Elon Musk’s role and its relation to technology:
1. Leadership of DOGE: Musk serves as a special government employee leading the Department of Government Efficiency, a new initiative under the Trump administration. This role, while not a traditional government position, involves advising and directing efforts to reduce government waste, cut costs, and improve operational efficiency across federal agencies.
2. Focus on Technology Modernization: A key part of Musk’s mission with DOGE is to modernize outdated government technology systems.
This includes:
-Updating Software and Infrastructure: Many federal agencies rely on legacy systems that are decades old, inefficient, and costly to maintain. Musk is pushing for the adoption of modern software solutions to replace these systems.
-Streamlining IT Operations: He aims to improve the efficiency of federal IT operations by reducing redundancies, consolidating services, and leveraging private-sector innovations, such as cloud computing and AI.
– Cost Reduction: By modernizing technology, Musk seeks to save billions in taxpayer dollars, aligning with DOGE’s broader goal of slashing $2 trillion from the federal budget.
3. Strategic Influence, Not Hands-On Support: Musk’s role is strategic and advisory, not operational. He does not personally manage day-to-day tech support or IT services for the government, such as fixing servers or troubleshooting software issues. Instead, he influences policy, sets priorities, and drives systemic changes, often drawing on his experience as CEO of tech-driven companies like Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI.
4. The “tech support” T-shirt is a satirical reference to this broader role. By jokingly calling himself “White House tech support,” Musk is highlighting his efforts to “fix” government inefficiencies, particularly in technology, while humorously downplaying his high-level influence as if he were a basic IT helpdesk worker. It’s a playful exaggeration, not a literal description of his duties.
Go back to you silly podcast, Karen. I mean, Rachel. Rachel is the left’s Karen.