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The Senate confirmations process continues apace with Linda McMahon’s floor vote expected in the near future. McMahon is likely to be confirmed as Secretary of Education—this would be her second executive branch assignment following her spell as Administrator of the Small Business Administration during Trump’s first term. Despite the reputation as a middle of the road pick for a Party that now unabashedly champions neo-Nazis, McMahon still holds numerous worrisome education policy positions. 

There’s mounting evidence that Donald Trump’s Treasury secretary is not telling the truth about DOGE’s infiltration of the federal payments system.

“Abundance agenda” apostle Matt Yglesias’ affinity for Interior Secretary Doug Burgum’s deregulatory plans makes clear that this agenda is, at its heart, a neoliberal-approved version of Trumpian plunder.

This is the first installment in a four-part series critiquing Matt Yglesias’ support for deregulating the permitting process.

This is the second installment in a four-part series critiquing Matt Yglesias’ support for deregulating the permitting process.

This is the third installment in a four-part series critiquing Matt Yglesias’ support for deregulating the permitting process.

This is the fourth installment in a four-part series critiquing Matt Yglesias’ support for deregulating the permitting process.

Musk Connections: Firm invested in SpaceX, xAI, and $400 million in Musk’s X (formerly Twitter)
Other Corporate Affiliations: Co-Founder of venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz 
DOGE Deployment: Unofficial advisor

Musk Connections: Lawyer at Munger, Tolles & Olson, which has represented Tesla
Other Corporate Affiliations: Worked at investment banking firm Houlihan Lokey 
DOGE Deployment: Head of team at USAID, assigned to General Services Administration and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

This week, we’ll focus on how DOGE’s priorities seem to reflect Musk’s grudges and interests in a less efficient government. Trying to be thorough without being totally thorough (the reign of ignorant terror is as vast as it is deep and consequential), here are several of the most salient examples of the Trump’s administration’s prioritization of corporate interests at the expense of the public. 

Musk Connections: Director and Treasurer of America PAC
Other Corporate Affiliations: Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America
DOGE Deployments: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

Musk Connections: Former Twitter and Tesla Engineer 
DOGE Deployments: Consumer Finance Protection Bureau and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Musk Connections: Silicon Valley CEO who has been described as a “Musk ally”
Other Corporate Affiliations: CEO of Cloud Software Group; President of Broadcom Software
DOGE Deployment: Fiscal Assistant Secretary of the Treasury

Corporate Affiliations: Software engineer at Waymo; Founder of start-up Intercept
DOGE Deployment: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)

Corporate Affiliations: Engineer at Databricks
DOGE Deployment: Internal Revenue Service; Office of Personnel Management; General Services Administration; Consumer Financial Protection Bureau; USAID