Reaction & Commentary
A Republican congressman who is “fed up” with the “scripted outrage” promoted by the left over the Department of Government Efficiency and Elon Musk’s investigations of federal agencies published a letter to constituents dispelling the “lies about DOGE.”
Virginia Republican Rep. Ben Cline published an open letter to constituents last week who are furious over Musk’s role leading DOGE as the Musk team parsed through agencies such as the Treasury Department and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to find fraud and cut government spending fat.
The investigations have led to an apparent dismantling of USAID as DOGE and Republican lawmakers and think tanks publish reports showing the independent government agency has bankrolled foreign programs such as creating an Iraqi version of “Sesame Street” and provided funds to extremist groups connected to designated terror organizations.
ELON MUSK OUTLINES ‘SUPER OBVIOUS’ CHANGES DOGE AND TREASURY HAVE AGREED TO MAKE
Elon Musk speaks during an America PAC town hall on Oct. 26, 2024, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
Democratic lawmakers, voters, as well as employees of the agency, have staged protests across the country over Musk’s work, slamming him as a billionaire “fascist” who has no right to investigate the federal government as he is not an elected official.
USAID HAS ‘DEMONSTRATED PATTERN OF OBSTRUCTIONISM,’ CLAIMS TOP DOGE REPUBLICAN IN LETTER TO RUBIO
“I’m fed up with the scripted outrage of the Left & their lies about DOGE. @realDonaldTrump campaigned on using @elonmusk’s expertise to make government more efficient. Trump won & he’s keeping that promise,” Cline posted on X, linking to a letter to his constituents.
Cline hit back in his letter that Musk has long held some of the highest security clearances in the nation through his work leading Space X.
“Musk is not a private citizen being given ‘unprecedented access to personal or sensitive information,’ as the extreme left would lead you to believe. Mr. Musk holds some of the highest-level security clearances as a key defense contractor and his work is integral to ensuring U.S. military superiority,” Cline wrote in his letter addressed to “Jane Doe” constituents on Thursday.
“As you are aware, the rocket systems and satellites his companies produce are used across the federal government, including in the Department of Defense, and his Starlink system has been critical in supporting U.S. allies abroad. There are few, if any, private individuals who have done more to advance America’s technological and defense capabilities in modern history. If there is anyone qualified to bring the federal government into the 21st century and improve its efficiency, it is Elon Musk,” he continued.
Rep. Ben Cline participates in a House Judiciary Committee markup on May 16, 2024. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Cline added that President Donald Trump “has Article II constitutional authority to appoint individuals who can help execute their vision for the federal government.”
‘VIPER’S NEST’: USAID ACCUSED OF CORRUPTION, MISMANAGEMENT LONG BEFORE TRUMP ADMIN TOOK AIM
“Most recently, President Trump designated Elon Musk as a ‘special government employee,’ which is defined by Section 202 of Title 18 of the United States Code. President Trump’s decision to enlist Mr. Musk is a bold step toward strengthening America’s technological leadership and eliminating bureaucratic inefficiencies. This appointment is fully within the President’s discretion and is no different from past administrations appointing industry experts to key cabinet, advisory, and operational roles,” Cline explained.
“For over 20 years, Mr. Musk has undoubtedly showcased to the American people his unparalleled ability to drive innovation, develop world-leading technologies, and ensure America is the world leader in energy, Artificial Intelligence, rocketry, transportation, and healthcare, among other fields,” he continued.
Musk reportedly gained access to the Treasury’s payment system last weekend, sparking widespread outrage that he had access to private information related to Social Security, payments to government contractors, Medicare benefits and other data. The outrage soon spilled into Musk and DOGE’s work investigating USAID last week, which crescendoed on Friday when a federal judge paused the Trump administration’s order to place thousands of USAID employees on leave while signage for the agency was removed or covered on the building’s headquarters and surrounding area.
MUSK RIPS ‘FRAUDULENT’ TREASURY HANDOUTS AS REPORTS MOUNT DOGE HAS ACCESS TO FEDERAL PAYMENT SYSTEM
People protest against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk. (Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images)
“There is no evidence to support the allegation that Elon Musk or his team has unlawfully accessed or seized the sensitive data. Any access to citizen data is strictly regulated, and the role of DOGE is focused on modernizing outdated systems, not compiling private information. The real threat to Americans’ privacy has come from an unchecked bureaucracy that has mismanaged data security for decades. The reforms proposed by President Trump and implemented by individuals like Mr. Musk are designed to prevent government overreach, not expand it,” Cline wrote.
House Democrats were blocked from entering the Department of Education building in Washington, D.C., Feb. 7, 2025. (Fox News)
Also on Friday, House Democrats, including Rep. Maxine Waters of Califorrnia, attempted to gain entry to the Department of Education’s headquarters to meet with acting Education Secretary Denise L. Carter. But they were seen clashing with a security guard as the DOGE team reportedly prepares to recommend major spending cuts to the department. Trump had repeatedly advocated and campaigned on shutting the Department of Education down in favor of giving states power over their respective education systems.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Rep. Maxine Waters and others speak out during an anti-Elon Musk rally at the Treasury Department on Feb. 4, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Jemal Countess/Getty Images for MoveOn)
“The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is an essential initiative to reduce wasteful spending, cut bureaucratic red tape, and modernize government technology. On his first day in office, President Trump legally integrated DOGE into the federal government by way of an executive order renaming the U.S. Digital Service as the U.S. DOGE Service (USDS),” he wrote.
“Fully authorized under the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), USDS will enhance government productivity and ensure taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly. Each executive agency’s DOGE Team works in coordination with agency heads in order to ensure the implementation of President Trump’s DOGE agenda. Treasury Secretary Scott [Bessent] has already approved DOGE’s lawful access to unclassified records and systems to facilitate this integration,” he wrote.
Rep. Ben Cline participates in the House Judiciary Committee organizing meeting in the Rayburn House Office Building on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Cline continued in his letter to constituents that he serves on the DOGE Caucus in Congress and “will work alongside President Trump to introduce reforms that streamline government operations, eliminate inefficiencies, and restore fiscal responsibility in Washington.”
Musk outlined “super obvious” changes DOGE and the Treasury agreed to in order for the agency to be easily audited, such as providing a categorization code for outgoing payments, a rationale for any payments, and the creation of a regularly updated “DO-NOT-PAY list” that includes dead people, or fraudulent entities, such as groups with ties to terror organizations.
President-elect Donald Trump and Elon Musk attend the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 16, 2024, in New York City. (Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
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“Yesterday, I was told that there are currently over $100B/year of entitlements payments to individuals with no SSN or even a temporary ID number. If accurate, this is extremely suspicious,” Musk posted on Saturday.
A federal judge blocked DOGE’s ability to access Treasury Department systems on Saturday morning, teeing up a legal battle over DOGE’s work.
