Summary
Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) will reportedly face a lawsuit from National Security Counselors shortly after Donald Trump’s inauguration.
The lawsuit alleges DOGE violates the 1972 Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), which mandates transparency, balanced representation, public access, and proper documentation for White House advisory committees.
DOGE, aimed at cutting $2 trillion in federal spending, has not followed these requirements.
Critics have called Musk’s budget-cutting goals unrealistic, as they would likely impact protected programs like Social Security and Medicare, which Trump has vowed to preserve.
It seems like a rational move to sue, because it likely may never be given formal power and may be exercising it regardless. That’s because Trump will not ask for anyone’s permission to do a thing unless he absolutely has to.
Where we see institutional authority and mandate by following a process, Trump sees it as preemptive capitulation to restrictions on power. That’s why the firehose of falsehoods and insane conduct is so effective - it may sound trite to say it, but every crazy thing he says/does that is beyond our ability to hold him accountable is one additional thing he is beyond accountability for.