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Joy Reid: If that’s not concerning enough. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the message coming from leadership at the Elon-owned social media site X, Twitter is this: get your clients to spend more on our platform or else. They write that leaders at an advertising conglomerate interpreted the communications from X as reminders that their recently announced 13 billion dollar merger deal could be torpedoed or at least slowed down by the Trump administration, given Musk’s powerful role in the federal government, some of the people said. That guy is essentially running the show all for his personal financial benefit, while Trump gets to sit in the Oval Office or hang out on the golf course, living out his revenge fantasies via the Justice Department, dragging the Secret Service to sporting events, and pretending he can rename international bodies of water. But Musk isn’t doing it alone, which is something even Trump acknowledged today.
Donald Trump: Elon is doing a really good job. And I said, who are these people? We call them the DOGErs. And I said, what are they? He said they generally young people with extremely high IQs who, who are very good with computers, cause you have to be good with computers.
Joy Reid: Young people with extremely high IQs are really good with computers, which I guess sounds great, I guess. Until you learn more about who these guys are and what access they have into your private lives. They are the people who are seizing control of the federal government. You didn’t elect them. In fact, most Americans don’t even know their names. You might call them the young, inexperienced engineers aiding Elon Musk’s government takeover. They are between the ages of 19 and 24, holding nebulous job titles within the made up and Orwellian Department of Government Efficiency. From Wired quote, most have connections to Musk, and at least two have connections to Musk’s long time associate, Peter Thiel, a cofounder and chair of the analytics firm and government contractor Palantir, who has long expressed opposition to democracy. Wired identified six men, Musk allies or lieutenants who have gained access to the Treasury Department or who have taken control of the Office of Personnel Management and General Services Administration, which is the federal government agency that manages federal property and provides contracting services. There are reported details about some of them, like Luke Farritor, who, per the New York Times, is a 23-year-old former SpaceX intern with access to USAID systems. According to people familiar with his role, he’s also listed as an executive engineer in the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services and had an email account at the GSA. Interns with little to no government experience are helping to reshape the federal government with potentially catastrophic consequences. And we’re starting to see…
Joy Reid worries that these young techies have little to no government experience, like it’s a big problem. Yet Biden had 50 years experience in government, but still left an economic mess and border crisis for Trump’s team to fix. Her take is more conspiracy than reality, and it’s all off-base. She starts claiming “if that’s not concerning enough,” then cites The Wall Street Journal, saying X’s leadership is pushing advertisers to spend more “or else,” with execs fearing their $13 billion merger could stall due to Musk’s sway with Trump. The report doesn’t confirm threats; it just says “leaders” interpreted it. No evidence, only speculation. She then claims Musk is “essentially running the show all for his personal financial benefit,” while Trump golfs, runs “revenge fantasies” through the Justice Department, drags the Secret Service around, and “pretends” to rename waterways. Total bunk—Trump did rename the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America” via a January 2025 executive order. It’s official in the U.S., backed by the Interior Department and U.S. Board on Geographic Names, with maps updated domestically. Mexico and others aren’t following, but it’s not pretend—it’s enacted here. As for Musk running things for profit? He’s not cashing in. He’s an unpaid senior adviser to the president, and he’s risked backlash and poured his own time and money into this.
Reid seizes Trump’s praise for Musk and his “DOGErs”—young, high-IQ techies—and crafts a dire narrative: they’re “seizing control” of government, unelected and obscure. She even warns, “until you learn more about who these guys are and what access they have into your private lives,” implying some sinister invasion. It’s a cheap scare tactic—they’re just technicians, not spies, working on systems to modernize IT and cut costs. There’s no evidence they’re rifling through your personal data; they’re fixing outdated government systems, not hacking your phone. She labels them “inexperienced engineers” driving Musk’s “takeover,” aged 19-24, with ill-defined roles in the “made-up and Orwellian” Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). More bunk—DOGE isn’t fake; it’s a tech-focused reboot of the United States Digital Service, signed into existence by Trump on January 20, 2025, building on decades-old OMB goals to streamline government. Job titles like “executive engineer” (e.g., Farritor’s role) are loose, but that’s typical for a new advisory group still finding its feet—no conspiracy, just a rebrand with tech expertise. She cites Wired, connecting most to Musk, some to Peter Thiel, and highlights six individuals in roles at Treasury and GSA—that’s networking, not domination. Her example, Luke Farritor—a 23-year-old ex-SpaceX intern with USAID and HHS access—is an employee, not an overlord. “Catastrophic consequences”? All bluster, no evidence—just an unfounded claim with no substance.