Quinta Jurecic

who have kind of reportedly been dispatched to a variety of federal agencies to supposedly look for efficiencies, but it seems from the reporting like what they're actually doing is kind of barging their way in demanding access to data and then wrecking as much as they possibly can. And... There are a lot of ways in which that's concerning.

who have kind of reportedly been dispatched to a variety of federal agencies to supposedly look for efficiencies, but it seems from the reporting like what they're actually doing is kind of barging their way in demanding access to data and then wrecking as much as they possibly can. And... There are a lot of ways in which that's concerning.

The most concerning has been the reporting about what's going on inside the Treasury, where I believe two Musk kind of acolytes had access to very, very sensitive Treasury data, and particularly the corner of the Treasury Department that is kind of the nerve system that actually sends out the payments that the United States government is sending around the world.

The most concerning has been the reporting about what's going on inside the Treasury, where I believe two Musk kind of acolytes had access to very, very sensitive Treasury data, and particularly the corner of the Treasury Department that is kind of the nerve system that actually sends out the payments that the United States government is sending around the world.

And that is concerning because it could cause a global financial crisis. I think that, you know, imagine the worst possible case scenario, right? The U.S. government says, actually, we're not going to pay, you know, any of this money that we owe anyone.

And that is concerning because it could cause a global financial crisis. I think that, you know, imagine the worst possible case scenario, right? The U.S. government says, actually, we're not going to pay, you know, any of this money that we owe anyone.

Even if they, you know, target that at a very particular sector, you can see how the ripple effects would extend because— Or even imagine they just accidentally break it. Exactly.

Even if they, you know, target that at a very particular sector, you can see how the ripple effects would extend because— Or even imagine they just accidentally break it. Exactly.

Exactly. And so, reportedly, there are two people who had been mucking around in these systems. There was a lawsuit filed trying to block this. The court stated that those two Musk aides should be barred from being able to change anything, that they should only have read access

Exactly. And so, reportedly, there are two people who had been mucking around in these systems. There was a lawsuit filed trying to block this. The court stated that those two Musk aides should be barred from being able to change anything, that they should only have read access

Now, to be clear, their having read access is very concerning, but the fact that it was downgraded, or at least that it was downgraded after this court order, is a very, very good thing. And then the other thing that happened is not too long after that court order was issued, the Wall Street Journal reported that one of those aides,

Now, to be clear, their having read access is very concerning, but the fact that it was downgraded, or at least that it was downgraded after this court order, is a very, very good thing. And then the other thing that happened is not too long after that court order was issued, the Wall Street Journal reported that one of those aides,

whose name is Marco Alez, I think I'm pronouncing that correctly, resigned because the journal had confronted him with a number of extremely racist tweets that he had posted. And by racist, I mean that he posted things like, I was racist before it was cool. So I'm using his own self-descriptor there. Now, that sequence is... is reassuring in the sense that they backed down. They blinked.

whose name is Marco Alez, I think I'm pronouncing that correctly, resigned because the journal had confronted him with a number of extremely racist tweets that he had posted. And by racist, I mean that he posted things like, I was racist before it was cool. So I'm using his own self-descriptor there. Now, that sequence is... is reassuring in the sense that they backed down. They blinked.

But I was very concerned that we were going to end up in a situation where a court said, you know, Doge folks, you need to get out of there. Elon Musk said no, and then you have a standoff. because the agency that actually carries out court orders in these kinds of situations, the US Marshals, is actually under control of the Justice Department.

But I was very concerned that we were going to end up in a situation where a court said, you know, Doge folks, you need to get out of there. Elon Musk said no, and then you have a standoff. because the agency that actually carries out court orders in these kinds of situations, the US Marshals, is actually under control of the Justice Department.

So what happens if Trump then tells the Justice Department not to comply, right? That didn't happen.

So what happens if Trump then tells the Justice Department not to comply, right? That didn't happen.

Like many people in D.C., and by that I don't only mean, you know, official D.C. I mean D.C., the city where people live. I have spent the last couple weeks having a lot of conversations and hearing about a lot of conversations with people who work in the federal government, who wanted to work in the federal government, who are connected in some way to the federal government, and who are...

Like many people in D.C., and by that I don't only mean, you know, official D.C. I mean D.C., the city where people live. I have spent the last couple weeks having a lot of conversations and hearing about a lot of conversations with people who work in the federal government, who wanted to work in the federal government, who are connected in some way to the federal government, and who are...