PJ Vogt

When Trump took office, which, believe it or not, was just seven weeks ago, suddenly there was something called Doge. And suddenly lots of federal workers were getting emails from Elon Musk telling them they were no longer employed. Bobby says the speed of it all surprised a lot of people.

Musk does have a lot of power. How you feel about that probably has more to do with how you feel about Elon Musk than anything else. If you think, like many Americans do, that the government is bloated and inefficient, and if you believe, as many others do, that Elon Musk is a genius, then he's not destroying democracy. He's destroying bureaucracy. For others, though, this feels unsettling.

Musk does have a lot of power. How you feel about that probably has more to do with how you feel about Elon Musk than anything else. If you think, like many Americans do, that the government is bloated and inefficient, and if you believe, as many others do, that Elon Musk is a genius, then he's not destroying democracy. He's destroying bureaucracy. For others, though, this feels unsettling.

Musk does have a lot of power. How you feel about that probably has more to do with how you feel about Elon Musk than anything else. If you think, like many Americans do, that the government is bloated and inefficient, and if you believe, as many others do, that Elon Musk is a genius, then he's not destroying democracy. He's destroying bureaucracy. For others, though, this feels unsettling.

And one way Musk has tried to win some public confidence is by making the case for why Americans should trust him. Most memorably, for me, in this unusual Oval Office press conference.

And one way Musk has tried to win some public confidence is by making the case for why Americans should trust him. Most memorably, for me, in this unusual Oval Office press conference.

And one way Musk has tried to win some public confidence is by making the case for why Americans should trust him. Most memorably, for me, in this unusual Oval Office press conference.

Trump hands off to Elon, who's in a black overcoat, black MAGA hat, and who tells the reporters the aim of his new government project.

Trump hands off to Elon, who's in a black overcoat, black MAGA hat, and who tells the reporters the aim of his new government project.

Trump hands off to Elon, who's in a black overcoat, black MAGA hat, and who tells the reporters the aim of his new government project.

Musk's message here, delivered over the murmurs of his child, it's much more publicly palatable than Curtis Yarvin's. He's not saying we should get rid of democracy. He's saying instead that the real impediment to the will of the people is all the cruft of bureaucracy and regulation that make it so that our government costs lots of money but doesn't run well enough to do the things voters want.

Musk's message here, delivered over the murmurs of his child, it's much more publicly palatable than Curtis Yarvin's. He's not saying we should get rid of democracy. He's saying instead that the real impediment to the will of the people is all the cruft of bureaucracy and regulation that make it so that our government costs lots of money but doesn't run well enough to do the things voters want.

Musk's message here, delivered over the murmurs of his child, it's much more publicly palatable than Curtis Yarvin's. He's not saying we should get rid of democracy. He's saying instead that the real impediment to the will of the people is all the cruft of bureaucracy and regulation that make it so that our government costs lots of money but doesn't run well enough to do the things voters want.

Musk's solution, so far, is to just gleefully delete lots of parts of the U.S. government. Of course, that is the same government that also regulates his companies, sometimes gives them subsidies. And a reporter in the room asked him, isn't it a problem that you have this much power over a government that you also do business with?

Musk's solution, so far, is to just gleefully delete lots of parts of the U.S. government. Of course, that is the same government that also regulates his companies, sometimes gives them subsidies. And a reporter in the room asked him, isn't it a problem that you have this much power over a government that you also do business with?

Musk's solution, so far, is to just gleefully delete lots of parts of the U.S. government. Of course, that is the same government that also regulates his companies, sometimes gives them subsidies. And a reporter in the room asked him, isn't it a problem that you have this much power over a government that you also do business with?

As evidence of his commitment to transparency, Elon says he's even created a website you can visit, doge.gov slash savings. A long, frequently updated list of everything he says he's cut to save taxpayer money. I looked at it with Bobby.

As evidence of his commitment to transparency, Elon says he's even created a website you can visit, doge.gov slash savings. A long, frequently updated list of everything he says he's cut to save taxpayer money. I looked at it with Bobby.

As evidence of his commitment to transparency, Elon says he's even created a website you can visit, doge.gov slash savings. A long, frequently updated list of everything he says he's cut to save taxpayer money. I looked at it with Bobby.

Then you scroll down and there's a long list. It looks like a credit card statement in reverse because it's places where money is being spent, literally the location, and then the amount. Can you just talk to me about one of these line items?