Opinion | The Familiar Arrogance of Musk’s Young Apparatchiks

Following a takeover, a crisis ensued as significant portions of federal government spending were halted, only to be partially reinstated after a court order. Late Friday, Elon Musk took control of the Treasury Department’s payment system, responsible for distributing trillions of dollars and housing sensitive data of millions of Americans. The group assisting in this government takeover, including young engineers aged 19 to 24, seem to have less experience than the staff at the C.P.A. in Iraq, as reported by Wired.

Employees at the General Services Administration disclosed that Edward Coristine, a recent high school graduate with a brief stint at Neuralink, has been involved in calls where workers were required to review their code and justify their roles. Another member of Musk’s team, software engineer Gavin Kliger, sent an email to USAID employees announcing the closure of headquarters, stating that USAID is being dismantled.

At the Department of Education, staff have been placed on leave for conducting diversity training sessions recommended by their managers, with reports indicating Trump plans to dismantle the department. Over a thousand Environmental Protection Agency employees focusing on climate change and pollution reduction have been warned of potential imminent termination.

Trump’s associates are purging security services, with numerous F.B.I. agents under scrutiny for their roles in investigating and prosecuting Capitol rioters, potentially resulting in scores or hundreds being ousted. Additionally, key administration roles are being filled by individuals with extreme views, such as Darren Beattie, who advocates for white men to be in leadership positions.

Many view Musk’s actions as an assault on the federal bureaucracy akin to a coup, although technically Trump’s delegation of power to Musk was voluntary. This unprecedented approach of treating the government as a hostile entity to be conquered and exploited has drawn comparisons to the colonial hubris and incompetence seen in Iraq post-war.