Musk is the little devil on Trump's shoulder daring him to break the law | Opinion
Elon Musk neither knows nor cares when his suggestions violate the Constitution, and that makes him dangerous when advising an impulsive president.
Elon Musk has taken a forefront position in the young Trump administration. Though not an official Cabinet member, the chief of the Department of Government Efficiency is probably the single largest influence in the administration this far.
While some may want to paint the billionaire's government inexperience as an asset, the reality is that it makes him a dangerous influence over President Donald Trump and America.
Musk is a very smart person, but that doesn’t mean his expertise in tech and engineering translates to the political realm. The naturalized U.S. citizen born in South Africa could still be lacking the political knowledge to understand the weight of his words and should be more careful before throwing out revolutionary ideas. Musk has always been a bit inflammatory, but his words mean more now because of his influence on our government and the lives of Americans.
Elon Musk's suggestions for government are uneducated
Musk’s business temperament lends itself well to making budget cuts, something our country sorely needs, but it runs into trouble when he encounters roadblocks such as the separation of powers.
After U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer blocked his DOGE from accessing Treasury Department's data, Musk became irritated, setting his sights on America’s foundational tenet of judicial review.
“I’d like to propose that the worst 1% of appointed judges, as determined by elected bodies, be fired every year,” Musk suggested on X. "This will weed out the most corrupt and least competent."
This suggestion is ridiculous for a number of reasons. First, the worst 1% of judges simply amounts to the 1% most threatening to those in power at the time, not necessarily the most corrupt.
More important, such a move would be unconstitutional at its face. All federal judges have life tenure per Article III of the Constitution. The Constitution outlines the process for removal of a judge, that being impeachment by the House of Representatives and conviction by the Senate.
While Musk’s suggestions mainly amount to an irritation against constitutionalists, a direct line to Trump makes him dangerous.
Musk's lack of political understanding makes him dangerous
When Musk ignores the Constitution with his radical ideas, Trump may listen. With a complicit Republican behind him, the president has little reason to think that Congress will stand in his way or punish him for overreach.
Trump has already made it clear he is willing to push the boundaries of the law (at the very least), and Musk is a driving adviser pushing him in that direction.
Trump had anti-constitutional tendencies during his first administration when his supporting cast was relatively more restrained than his current allies. Now, with acolytes willing to enable his schemes, we will see Trump dive headfirst into conflict with the law.
In fact, we already are. Many of Trump’s attempted actions, including rescinding birthright citizenship and the shutdown of federal agencies, have already been unconstitutional. Over the weekend, he more or less admitted that he has no intention of playing by the rules going forward.
Musk neither knows nor cares when his suggestions violate the U.S. Constitution, and that makes him dangerous when advising an impulsive president.
Trump’s willingness to ignore the law makes him threatening, and Musk is the little devil on his shoulder encouraging him to do so.
Dace Potas is an opinion columnist for Paste BN and a graduate of DePaul University with a degree in political science.