Molly Ball

I think, you know, in Washington, there's a bit of cynicism and skepticism about it. You know, every few years we get people come here saying, I have this dramatically better idea for how the whole thing can be run, and then they take a look at the actual system and realize... Like, yeah, you can find a thing here or there that maybe you wouldn't have authorized.

I think, you know, in Washington, there's a bit of cynicism and skepticism about it. You know, every few years we get people come here saying, I have this dramatically better idea for how the whole thing can be run, and then they take a look at the actual system and realize... Like, yeah, you can find a thing here or there that maybe you wouldn't have authorized.

I think, you know, in Washington, there's a bit of cynicism and skepticism about it. You know, every few years we get people come here saying, I have this dramatically better idea for how the whole thing can be run, and then they take a look at the actual system and realize... Like, yeah, you can find a thing here or there that maybe you wouldn't have authorized.

But these government efficiency, you know, blue ribbon panels and congressional committees and so on have been looking to root out waste, fraud and abuse for decades now. And they generally do not find that you can dramatically reduce the size of the federal government if you want it to keep doing the same things.

But these government efficiency, you know, blue ribbon panels and congressional committees and so on have been looking to root out waste, fraud and abuse for decades now. And they generally do not find that you can dramatically reduce the size of the federal government if you want it to keep doing the same things.

But these government efficiency, you know, blue ribbon panels and congressional committees and so on have been looking to root out waste, fraud and abuse for decades now. And they generally do not find that you can dramatically reduce the size of the federal government if you want it to keep doing the same things.

We've seen already some Republicans quietly trying to refund some of the programs that they've seen getting destroyed because their constituents' interests are at stake. For example, there's a food program that buys American farm products and uses them for food aid overseas. Some Republicans in the Senate are trying to resurrect that because it was killed in the elimination of USAID.

We've seen already some Republicans quietly trying to refund some of the programs that they've seen getting destroyed because their constituents' interests are at stake. For example, there's a food program that buys American farm products and uses them for food aid overseas. Some Republicans in the Senate are trying to resurrect that because it was killed in the elimination of USAID.

We've seen already some Republicans quietly trying to refund some of the programs that they've seen getting destroyed because their constituents' interests are at stake. For example, there's a food program that buys American farm products and uses them for food aid overseas. Some Republicans in the Senate are trying to resurrect that because it was killed in the elimination of USAID.

So I think the idea that Musk is going to have a radical and lasting effect on the structure or the competence of the federal government, I would say people in D.C. are a bit skeptical about that just because many have tried. And it doesn't tend to be quite as easy as they think it's going to be.

So I think the idea that Musk is going to have a radical and lasting effect on the structure or the competence of the federal government, I would say people in D.C. are a bit skeptical about that just because many have tried. And it doesn't tend to be quite as easy as they think it's going to be.

So I think the idea that Musk is going to have a radical and lasting effect on the structure or the competence of the federal government, I would say people in D.C. are a bit skeptical about that just because many have tried. And it doesn't tend to be quite as easy as they think it's going to be.

Yeah, you know, I think everybody sort of understands the idea of, you know, taking a whack at some of these entrenched bureaucracies. I think where you get a lot of concern is in the parts of the government that see themselves as sort of zero fail, so to speak, right? I mean, where you can't afford a mistake.

Yeah, you know, I think everybody sort of understands the idea of, you know, taking a whack at some of these entrenched bureaucracies. I think where you get a lot of concern is in the parts of the government that see themselves as sort of zero fail, so to speak, right? I mean, where you can't afford a mistake.

Yeah, you know, I think everybody sort of understands the idea of, you know, taking a whack at some of these entrenched bureaucracies. I think where you get a lot of concern is in the parts of the government that see themselves as sort of zero fail, so to speak, right? I mean, where you can't afford a mistake.

In something like national security, you can't just take down all of our defenses, wait for a terrorist attack to happen, and then say, oops, that's where we should have put a patch. So I think there is a lot of concern in various... Areas of the federal government that feel like they can't afford to have a mistake that puts people's lives and livelihoods at risk.

In something like national security, you can't just take down all of our defenses, wait for a terrorist attack to happen, and then say, oops, that's where we should have put a patch. So I think there is a lot of concern in various... Areas of the federal government that feel like they can't afford to have a mistake that puts people's lives and livelihoods at risk.

In something like national security, you can't just take down all of our defenses, wait for a terrorist attack to happen, and then say, oops, that's where we should have put a patch. So I think there is a lot of concern in various... Areas of the federal government that feel like they can't afford to have a mistake that puts people's lives and livelihoods at risk.

And that's how you find out that actually we did need that function of the government to be operating and fully staffed.

And that's how you find out that actually we did need that function of the government to be operating and fully staffed.