Politics Weekly America How Trump, Musk and Doge shattered the US government
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Apr 2, 2026 Sasha Abramsky, investigative journalist and author, maps how Trump, Musk and DOGE reshaped federal power. He recounts the rise and fall of Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, mass bureaucratic purges, threats to aid and payment systems, and the lasting harm to trust, expertise and oversight. Short, sharp stories trace who did the work and where the damage landed.
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Doge Was A Shadow Dismantling Project
- Doge publicly pitched efficiency but privately aimed to dismantle government functionality and bypass constitutional checks.
- Sasha Abramsky says Musk and Trump created a shadow operation to delete agencies without congressional approval, targeting public health, environment and aid.
Fork In The Road Email Kicked Off Mass Culling
- Thousands of employees received a "fork in the road" email offering buyouts while probationary staff were fired with hours' notice.
- Sasha Abramsky recounts Tali Lind at USAID getting placed on administrative leave and then seeing her entire agency dismantled within weeks.
Cuts Left Warehouses Of Life Saving Aid Unused
- USAID warehouses full of lifesaving meds like plumpy nut were locked up after cuts, causing excess mortality overseas.
- Abramsky cites Boston modelers estimating tens of thousands then hundreds of thousands of excess deaths months later.
