PJ Vogt

And do you feel like that promise has turned out to be true, that you have turned from one power center in American life into another?

And do you feel like that promise has turned out to be true, that you have turned from one power center in American life into another?

And so tell me about this question you were trying to answer, this story about Elon Musk and an unusual line item in the State Department budget. Like, where does that story start for you?

And so tell me about this question you were trying to answer, this story about Elon Musk and an unusual line item in the State Department budget. Like, where does that story start for you?

And so tell me about this question you were trying to answer, this story about Elon Musk and an unusual line item in the State Department budget. Like, where does that story start for you?

Okay, so this was a public document that the State Department had put on its website called a procurement forecast. An enormous, dense document that lists places where the State Department expects to spend taxpayer money. This document is not user-friendly. It's quite obscure. But Ryan Grimm, this sharp, dogged reporter, sat down and pored through the document just to check.

Okay, so this was a public document that the State Department had put on its website called a procurement forecast. An enormous, dense document that lists places where the State Department expects to spend taxpayer money. This document is not user-friendly. It's quite obscure. But Ryan Grimm, this sharp, dogged reporter, sat down and pored through the document just to check.

Okay, so this was a public document that the State Department had put on its website called a procurement forecast. An enormous, dense document that lists places where the State Department expects to spend taxpayer money. This document is not user-friendly. It's quite obscure. But Ryan Grimm, this sharp, dogged reporter, sat down and pored through the document just to check.

Was this new, unusual presidential administration doing anything new and unusual that might be revealed here in the spreadsheet's many lines? And Ryan Grim found something that seemed to him very strange. The U.S. State Department, the part of the government that deals with diplomacy and foreign policy, was revealing that they were going to spend $400 million on a fleet of new armored cars.

Was this new, unusual presidential administration doing anything new and unusual that might be revealed here in the spreadsheet's many lines? And Ryan Grim found something that seemed to him very strange. The U.S. State Department, the part of the government that deals with diplomacy and foreign policy, was revealing that they were going to spend $400 million on a fleet of new armored cars.

Was this new, unusual presidential administration doing anything new and unusual that might be revealed here in the spreadsheet's many lines? And Ryan Grim found something that seemed to him very strange. The U.S. State Department, the part of the government that deals with diplomacy and foreign policy, was revealing that they were going to spend $400 million on a fleet of new armored cars.

Well, not just any armored cars. Armored Teslas. almost half a billion dollars in taxpayer money to be spent on electric vehicles made specifically by Elon Musk's company. Elon Musk, the man who these days is Donald Trump's right-hand man. So Ryan Grim publishes his story. Some outlets, like Rachel Maddow, start to zero in on what they perceive as the fishiness of all this.

Well, not just any armored cars. Armored Teslas. almost half a billion dollars in taxpayer money to be spent on electric vehicles made specifically by Elon Musk's company. Elon Musk, the man who these days is Donald Trump's right-hand man. So Ryan Grim publishes his story. Some outlets, like Rachel Maddow, start to zero in on what they perceive as the fishiness of all this.

Well, not just any armored cars. Armored Teslas. almost half a billion dollars in taxpayer money to be spent on electric vehicles made specifically by Elon Musk's company. Elon Musk, the man who these days is Donald Trump's right-hand man. So Ryan Grim publishes his story. Some outlets, like Rachel Maddow, start to zero in on what they perceive as the fishiness of all this.

Like, you're seeing Elon's reaction. You're getting ready to do your story for NPR the next morning. When do you notice that the original State Department spreadsheet has been altered?

Like, you're seeing Elon's reaction. You're getting ready to do your story for NPR the next morning. When do you notice that the original State Department spreadsheet has been altered?

Like, you're seeing Elon's reaction. You're getting ready to do your story for NPR the next morning. When do you notice that the original State Department spreadsheet has been altered?

NPR's Bobby Allen reports this comes as Tesla CEO... Bobby publishes his story the morning of February 13th. Things are moving.

NPR's Bobby Allen reports this comes as Tesla CEO... Bobby publishes his story the morning of February 13th. Things are moving.

NPR's Bobby Allen reports this comes as Tesla CEO... Bobby publishes his story the morning of February 13th. Things are moving.