Latest news with #MAGA-backed
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Elon Musk's cost-cutting at DOGE has been a colossal failure. But he has achieved something more dangerous
After 128 days as Donald Trump's chainsaw-wielding bureaucratic executioner, Elon Musk says he is leaving government. As the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, Musk has a long history of failed forecasts and broken promises, and he has given mixed signals about his future involvement with the Trump administration. But reports indicate that Musk, like Mark Zuckerberg before him, is genuinely disillusioned with politics and frustrated with the 'uphill battle' he's faced in trying to remake the federal government the way he remade Twitter. There is also growing evidence of discord between him and the President, a collapse of the political bromance that defined the final weeks of the 2024 election and the beginning of the second Trump administration. Things reportedly began souring last month after Musk donated millions to a MAGA-backed candidate that lost in Wisconsin. More recently, Musk allegedly flew to the Middle East with Trump to complain about an AI project his companies weren't involved in, before publicly accusing Trump's "One Big, Beautiful Bill" of undermining his work with DOGE. So with Musk's legal 130-day term as a 'special government employee' set to expire on Friday May 30 at the earliest, and Democrats gunning for his departure by that date, this is a good opportunity to suspend disbelief and evaluate his success so far. Musk's stated goal as the (apparently informal) head of DOGE was to slash government spending and save American taxpayers money. Before the inauguration, he claimed he could cut $1 trillion from the federal budget before September 30 by ending "waste, fraud, and abuse" — already a downgrade from his $2 trillion promise on the campaign trail. He further claimed that 'most of the work' required to make this happen would be done within 130 days. As of May 26, DOGE's online "wall of receipts" touts estimated savings of $175bn since the start of Trump's term, or $1,086.96 per taxpayer. The problem is that this figure may simply be nonsense. Analysis by The New York Times last month found numerous errors in DOGE's numbers, including counting government contracts that had not yet been awarded, counting contracts that had ended years ago, triple-counting the same savings, and confusing "million" with "billion". DOGE has since corrected some of those errors. Yet even today, many of its purported savings — including the three biggest on the list — treat the maximum potential value of a cancelled government contract as the actual amount saved, even if it did not legally require Uncle Sam to pay a single cent. (When The Independent tallied Musk's own contracts back in February, we counted only binding commitments in our headline figures.) Other entries on DOGE's website give no information and offer no evidence, simply listing the name of the contract vendor or contract description as "unavailable". Some of these cuts arguably produce waste rather than reduce it. Cancelling ongoing scientific studies before they can deliver results means effectively throwing away any money already spent. And if we zoom out, more reliable data shows that overall government spending has risen by around six to seven percent compared to the same period last year. All in all, then, DOGE's cost-cutting crusade has been a dramatic failure. But there are other metrics by which one might consider Musk's role in the White House a roaring success. Suppose, for example, that you wanted to blur the lines between public service and private interest and build precedent for plutocrats' direct participation in government. Musk's tenure at DOGE, overseeing cuts to agencies investigating his companies while apparently dodging conflict of interest rules, has certainly done that. Or suppose you wanted to execute a partisan purge of the federal government, seizing control of independent institutions and driving out your perceived enemies. Firing federal employees en masse and forcibly taking over quasi-government bodies, as DOGE has done, would surely help. What if you wanted to centralize power under yourself, advancing a radical "unitary executive" theory and challenging Congress's constitutionally-mandated power over government spending? A good start would be to demolish an entire government agency by fiat, then dare your opponents to reverse it. Similarly, if you wanted to deport millions of immigrants while massively increasing your ability to surveil and control U.S. citizens, you could do much worse than inserting DOGE staffers into numerous federal agencies to access and merge sensitive databases that have long been kept separate, while allegedly playing fast and loose with security safeguards. Courts are still deciding how much of this was actually legal, and DOGE has faced setbacks in that regard. Trump will also be seeking Congress's permission for roughly $9 billion of past cuts. In the long term, it's possible that Musk's actions will prove just as toxic for Trump's public image as they have been for his own. Yet by moving quickly and asking forgiveness rather than permission, DOGE has already made American government more chaotic and more autocratic. That is a win for Trump and his allies, regardless of what the world's richest person chooses to do next. Perhaps, for them if not for Musk, that was the real point all along.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
RFK Jr wants to ban government scientists from publishing in top journals and instead create a MAGA-backed publication
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr wants to ban top government scientists from publishing in 'corrupt' medical journals and force them to present research in MAGA-backed publications instead. During an appearance on the Ultimate Human podcast, Kennedy Jr said: 'We're probably going to stop publishing in the Lancet, New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA and those other journals because they're all corrupt.' He claimed the journals are under the control of pharmaceutical companies, according to The Washington Post. The world-renowned journals publish peer-reviewed research and analyze medical findings across the globe. Some of the journals receive millions of visits to their site annually. More than 1 million people read the New England Journal of Medicine in print each week. In past remarks, Kennedy has accused government agencies, including the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, of being 'sock puppets' for pharmaceutical giants. The new government journals would immediately receive credibility because they'd be funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), said Kennedy. This is despite NIH funding falling more than $3 billion between President Donald Trump's inauguration and March, when compared to the same time last year. 'It is anointing you as a good, legitimate scientist,' he said on the podcast episode, which aired shortly after he bypassed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and announced the department would stop recommending the coronavirus vaccine for healthy pregnant women and children. Last week, the White House released a 'MAHA report,' challenging vaccines. Several sections of the report offered misleading representations of findings in scientific papers, the newspaper reported. The scientific community is becoming increasingly concerned that research efforts are not progressing due to the Trump administration's actions. Since Trump's inauguration, Kennedy's agency has dismissed 20,000 federal workers, impacting almost every department division.
Economist
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Economist
Romania's next president will not be a MAGA populist after all
AT A TIME when democratic politics are dominated by battles between liberal cosmopolitans and populist nationalists, Romania's presidential election on May 18th seemed to come straight from central casting. George Simion of the hard-right Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), a MAGA-backed rabble-rouser who built his party on resentment of the political establishment, faced off against Nicusor Dan (pictured), a Paris-trained mathematician and mayor of Bucharest, the capital. Mr Simion had won the election's first round two weeks earlier with 41% of the vote to Mr Dan's 21%. A win for the Bucharest mayor would reaffirm Romania's position in the mainstream of the European Union. A win for Mr Simion would add to the ranks of populist leaders who are fracturing the bloc.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ugh...A List of Black MAGA 'Leaders' and the Foolishness They've Spewed
Black MAGA. Many say those two words have no business being next to each other. Despite the constant criticism that Black MAGA leaders face, folks like Candace Owens and Mark Robinson continue to make their political party proud... so they say. On the flip side, others like journalist Don Lemon, argue there's no way in hell any person can be both Black and 'rational MAGA.' The reason why? Well, he says a large part of the MAGA movement is soaking in racist ideals. From continuous attacks on immigrants to President Donald Trump's anti-DEI agenda and verbal attacks on former President Barack Obama and former Vice President Kamala Harris, it's clear there's some discrepancies between Black MAGA supporters and the agenda they choose to follow. So now, The Root is looking at all of the colorful and flat out racist statements previously made by Black MAGA politicians... Although the native Texan is new to the House of Representatives, Rep. Wesley Hunt has already made his allegiance with MAGA and Trump clear. During a hearing about the crisis at the southern border, Hunt told folks that despite racism still being alive and well in the U.S, 'We can't be the boy who cried wolf and blame racism all the time.' Former N.C. Lieutenant Gov. Mark Robinson is no stranger to controversy, as the MAGA-backed politician is notorious for his divisive and borderline offensive political rhetoric. In 2012, Robinson said he'd 'take Hitler over any of the sh*t that's in Washington right now!' At the time, of course he was talking about former President Barack Obama. Over the years, former NFL player Herschel Walker has expressed his love for the president, but what's more interesting is his commitment to separating himself from his race. Walker previously said the country is fully past racism. 'You're not a racist unless you're 185 years old in today's world,' Walker said in October at the Memory Lane Classic Car Museum, according to NBC News. Conservative pundit Candace Owens has created her brand by saying the most outrageous and offensive things imaginable. Last year, Owens attacked Ga. District Attorney Fani Willis, calling her a 'ghetto superstar.' Additionally, Owens said 'Love and Hip Hop' should give her and her special prosecutor Wade a call before mocking Willis' use of ebonics. The surgeon and former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development knows how to stir up trouble while also keeping his nose clean. But sometimes, endorsing foolishness is worse than spewing it. In 2020, he defended accusations claiming Trump was racist. 'President Trump does not dabble in identity politics. He wants everyone to succeed and believes in the adage, 'a rising tide lifts all boats,' Carson said. 'Many on the other side love to incite division by claiming that President Trump is a racist. They could not be more wrong.' Remember when MAGA began spewing that nonsense that former Vice President Kamala Harris 'turned Black?' Well, Fla. Rep. Byron Donalds was one of the many MAGA supporters who perpetuated the notion. 'This is really a phony controversy,' Donalds said. 'I don't really care, most people don't, but if we're going to be accurate, when Kamala Harris went into the United States Senate, it was AP that said she was the Indian-American United States senator. It was actually played up a lot,' citing the Associated Press. If you have no clue who this guy is, we don't blame you. The radio host previously launched a bid for president but ended his campaign in 2023. Larry Elder is no stranger to controversy, however. He previously said 'Blacks exaggerate the significance of racism' and 'women exaggerate the problem of sexism.' Of course, Owens would make another appearance on this list... During the height of the Black Lives Matter movement, Owens said BLM was a 'terrorist' organization. After losing his race for Kentucky Governor, former Attorney General Daniel Cameron pivoted to attacking 'woke,' just as many of his MAGA colleagues do. 'We will shine a bright light on those whose ideological agendas seek to dismantle American freedom and prosperity,' Cameron said in a news release. 'We will stop investment management firms, elected officials and corporate interests from using other people's money to advance their radical political agendas.' The former sports columnist and show host knows exactly how to offend Black folks. Back in 2017, he said NBA legend LeBron James was too rich to be a victim of racism. 'LeBron James whether he likes it or not or whether people close to him are telling him or not, he has removed himself from the damages and ravages of real racism,' Whitlock said. Of the many racially motivated comments made by Robinson, perhaps the most shocking came after CNN exposed him for allegedly having a secret account on a pornography website. According to CNN, Robinson called himself a 'black NAZI' on the porn site... among other things. Surprise, surprise... she's back! It's clear the MAGA supporter will stoop low t0 get her point across. After the murder of George Floyd in 2020, Owens became an avid critic of the Black father. She even blamed him for his own killing. Since her insensitive comments, Floyd's family expressed plans to sue in response. The U.S. Supreme Court justice has caught flak over his conservative views, including suggesting the court reconsider past rulings on same sex marriage. But one of the most notable statements of his career came in the 1980s when he criticized his own sister for benefiting from welfare. 'She gets mad when the mailman is late with her welfare check,' Thomas said. 'What's worse is that now her kids feel entitled to the check, too. They have no motivation for doing better or getting out of that situation.' For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Republicans are sleepwalking into a midterm disaster. Wisconsin should be a wake-up call.
Donald Trump doesn't like losers. So one has to wonder what he is thinking after Elon Musk, his biggest political donor, fell flat on his face in an attempt to prop up a MAGA-backed candidate in this week's Wisconsin Supreme Court race. While it's important not to overthink the results of an off-cycle election, Trump and Musk's embarrassing loss is a warning sign for Republicans ahead of next year's midterm elections. It came at an unfortunate time, as Trump announced massive across-the-board tariffs that spooked Wall Street, leading to the biggest one-day loss since 2020. Two Florida Republicans also underperformed in special elections for House seats, raising concerns among Republicans about their narrow majority. But Wisconsin was the clearest signal of the looming danger for Republicans. Musk overplayed his hand. The tech tycoon and his super PAC poured tens of millions of dollars into the race, but all that money could not stop the growing pushback against Trump's trail of destruction. Despite Musk's efforts, voters elected state Circuit Judge Susan Crawford to the state's Supreme Court, maintaining the court's 4-3 liberal majority. The victory wasn't easy. Trump beat former Vice President Kamala Harris in Wisconsin by less than 1 point, making it the closest state race in the 2024 presidential election. Yet Crawford defeated Trump-endorsed Brad Schimel by 10 points. Tuesday's election in Wisconsin is not the only sign that Republicans need to read the writing on the wall: Trump and Musk's DOGE tactics are toxic in the minds of voters. While GOP candidates won both special elections for two House seats in Florida, Democrats cut into the margin of victory in each race by double digits. By sticking with Trumpism and enabling an unelected billionaire, the Republican Party has exposed itself to a possible bloodbath during the 2026 midterms. I know a thing or two about winning tough races. I served as chairman of the Republican National Committee during the 2010 midterms, when a 'Republican wave' changed the power dynamics in Washington and state capitals across the country. But 2010 didn't start out that way. It came about because of a concerted effort to take advantage of an incumbent president's missteps. If I were a state Republican chairman looking at Tuesday's election results, here's what I would be thinking: First, voters are already sick and tired of all the chaos Musk has unleashed across America. Trump will be left to clean up the mess that Musk leaves behind on every aisle. Voters will blame the Trump administration and Republican lawmakers who didn't stand up to Musk. The Republican Party needs to understand this reality. We're already seeing voters express their anger at town halls, and GOP leadership asking Republicans in Congress not to meet with their constituents doesn't help. Republican candidates are stuck with the Trump brand if they don't offer the electorate an alternative path. That brings us to my second point: Republicans in tight House races must differentiate themselves from Trump. They can only do that if they're more concerned about what their voters want instead of what Trump thinks of them. However, since Republicans seek Trump's endorsement to win primaries, it becomes nearly impossible for them to distance themselves from his damaging policies. It will take individual candidates who are not afraid to draw stark contrasts between their vision for American families and whatever politics Trump is playing. If they are successful, it creates a lane for a new generation of GOP candidates to rise above Trump's stranglehold on the party. Lastly, Democrats have a role to play if they get out of their own way. Republicans have been masterful at defining the Democratic Party. It's now time for Democrats to define exactly what this Republican Party is. Voters are just starting to process the chaos, the mixed messages, the damage to institutions and the growing sense of insecurity surrounding Trump's second term. This can't be a missed opportunity. Democrats must find a straightforward narrative and make it stick. Drive it home every single day and don't give an inch. The key to success is keeping it simple and standing with voters heading into the midterms next year. GOP communications veteran Doug Heye warned Democrats not to overplay their hand. This week on MSNBC, he said, 'Democrats don't need a wave. They just need a ripple, given how small the House majority is. Stay focused and say the smart things. Don't make overpredictions.' The path forward for the pro-democracy movement will be a balancing act. Tuesday's elections underscored the weaknesses inside the Republican Party and how that weakness shows up at the ballot box. It's now up to Democrats to exploit those weaknesses and return power to the American people. For more thought-provoking insights from Michael Steele, Alicia Menendez and Symone Sanders-Townsend, watch 'The Weekend' every Saturday and Sunday at 8 a.m. ET on MSNBC. This article was originally published on
