Reuters: Elon Musk has "stepped beyond boundaries" – over 2 million public servants are under his control, and he plans to dismiss them.

Ilon Musk's rapid takeover of control over two U.S. government agencies has given the billionaire unprecedented authority over 2.2 million federal employees and the ability to radically alter the government structure.

Source. This is reported by Reuters.

In just two weeks, Musk established a new power center in Washington, executing Trump's initiative to reduce budget expenditures and cut the number of bureaucrats. However, these actions have sparked panic among civil servants and public protests.

“Americans are witnessing an extraordinary centralization of power in the hands of someone who lacks clearance for classified data and who has not undergone Senate confirmation. Musk has unprecedented and centralized control over key government tools,” said Don Moynihan from the University of Michigan.

A White House official commented to Reuters that Musk and his engineering team from DOGE – the Department of Efficiency – have undergone background checks and received access to government data. In his view, Musk is acting in accordance with Trump’s wishes. The U.S. President stated on Monday to reporters that Musk should seek permission from the White House for his actions.

“Ilan cannot and will not do anything without our approval, and we will grant him approval where appropriate; where it is not appropriate – we will not. But he reports to us,” Trump assured.

Musk and the DOGE staff have taken control of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the General Services Administration (GSA) along with their computer systems. OPM is the personnel division of the U.S. government that oversees 2.2 million federal employees.

Last Friday, Musk's team gained access to the payment system of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, through which more than $6 trillion is sent annually on behalf of federal agencies and contains personal data of millions of Americans receiving social benefits, tax refunds, and other government payments.

Michael Linden, a representative of the Joe Biden administration regarding the budget, stated that Musk's assistants' access to payment systems gives them unusual potential power.

“They can decide which payments the federal government will make,” Linden said in an interview.

Trump has repeatedly stated that the federal bureaucracy is excessive, inefficient, and needs to be reduced.

“Those of us who have worked at Musk's companies can see his style in everything that is happening in the federal government right now,” said Thomas Molain, a former senior aviation engineer at SpaceX. “Musk's loyal people are eager to fulfill every whim and desire of his as quickly as possible.”

Management experts say that Musk seems to have already exceeded the powers that involve “making recommendations” regarding cost reductions.

Musk and his aides appear to be going far beyond merely providing recommendations.

DOGE employees have actively participated in the cuts at USAID – the agency responsible for administering American charitable aid to other countries.

Musk's critics, including Democrats in Congress, have accused him of a hostile takeover of the government.

Federal employee unions have filed a lawsuit to block Musk's access to confidential computer systems.

“We do not have a fourth branch of government called Ilon Musk,” said U.S. Representative Jamie Raskin, a Democrat from Maryland, to reporters during a protest outside the USAID headquarters.

Using the same language as during the layoffs at Twitter after purchasing the social network in 2022, Musk sent an email to all federal employees with an offer – if they agree to resign voluntarily by February 6, their salary will be preserved until February 6.

In a second email, there was a call for employees to seek more productive work in the private sector.

Unions have already filed a lawsuit to block the administration's proposed severance package.

However, more than 60,000 federal employees have already accepted the severance proposal, a source in the White House told Reuters.

Background. It is worth noting that “good” Russians Khodorkovsky and Zimin have stated that they will support Russian-speaking projects in Ukraine after the cessation of USAID assistance. Critics believe Russia will thus be able to directly influence the information agenda and political decisions.