'Credible threats': Expert says Dems can strike back at Musk
Democrats have a few options to stop President Donald Trump's government freeze and purge and one foreign policy expert thinks he knows how to do it.
Writing for The Intercept, Sunjeev Bery, executive director of Freedom Forward, discussed the problems Democrats have with Elon Musk's mass purge of the U.S. government. Musk has used an artificial intelligence program to "find" options for mass firings.
Among the firings that happened last week were Department of Energy employees who monitor nuclear weapons and nuclear waste sites. It was only after public reports that Trump's administration realized they needed those employees and had to figure out how to contact them to bring them back.
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Bery suggested that despite not being in the majority in the House and Senate, Democrats could still strike back at Musk.
"If Musk's government contracts and policies were credibly threatened, his recent paper gains would shrink or vanish," Bery wrote.
A substantial portion of Musk's wealth comes from the U.S. government and his stocks. While he is trying to slash scientists with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Musk scored a $400 million contract with the State Department for armored vehicles. But as The Associated Press reported, that deal is now on hold.
Musk's other companies include SpaceX, "which has secured nearly $20 billion in federal funds since 2008 to ferry astronauts and satellites into space." The AP continued that Tesla "already received $41.9 million from the U.S. government," including payment for "vehicles provided to some U.S. embassies."
Bery urged Democrats to take a stance against his companies having any government contracts. Senators could filibuster and block any legislation that would give funds to Musk's companies.
Money markets also currently reward Musk for his relationship with Trump, assuming his stock will rise, noted Bery. However, these filibusters and the renewed scrutiny of Musk's spending while he purports to make government cuts could work against him in the markets too.
Bery thinks Musk might then feel pressure to retreat.