The most perplexing question of all when it comes to Trump-Musk

12 February

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump walks by Elon Musk during the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) gala at Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., November 14, 2024.

Today I’d like us to face the most perplexing of all questions when it comes to the Trump-Musk regime. What is their ultimate aim?

They’re closing government agencies. They say it’s to downsize the “deep state.” But is shrinking government their real goal, or do they want to gut the civil service and fill government with Trump loyalists, on the way to establishing a dictatorship?

They say they’re concerned about the federal budget deficit, but maybe they really want to make more room for a massive tax cut mainly for the rich, to strengthen the oligarchy.

They’re putting up tariffs against foreign imports, deporting undocumented workers, getting out of the World Health Organization, closing down USAID, pulling out of the Paris climate accord, and threatening to withdraw from NATO. They say this will help Americans get better jobs. But some might say their real aim is to establish a white Christian nation.

They’re deregulating crypto and ETFs, closing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and allowing Musk to muck around in the federal payments system. They say they’re seeking efficiencies, but maybe their real goal is simply to make Trump and Musk even richer.

Hence, today’s Office Hours question: Is there any coherent goal behind all this? What do you think is their MAJOR aim?

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Robert Reich is a professor of public policy at Berkeley and former secretary of labor. His writings can be found at https://robertreich.substack.com/

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