Spin Cycle: This Sudden Move Toward Government Accountability (DOGE) Musk Be Stopped!

For those who don’t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week’s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.

The spin on Sunday, with just hours to go before kickoff at Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, was mostly focused on billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) — along with his and President Donald Trump’s insistence that fraudulent and wasteful spending no longer had any safe harbor within the federal government.

On ABC News’ “This Week,” host Martha Raddatz immediately launched into the network’s reporting on the “chaos and confusion” she said was being caused by Musk and his team: “Ahead of a Monday deadline, at least 65,000 federal workers have agreed to take buyouts so far and DOGE has gained access to at least 10 federal agencies.”

“Ahead of a Monday deadline, at least 65,000 federal workers have agreed to take buyouts so far and DOGE has gained access to at least 10 federal agencies.” @MarthaRaddatz breaks down the “chaos and confusion” stemming from Elon Musk's group. https://t.co/UWdaL3jE1a pic.twitter.com/2KQwfCmQIy

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) February 9, 2025

“I think this is the most serious constitutional crisis the country has faced, certainly, since Watergate,” Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) was only too happy to join in the attack. “The president is attempting to seize control of power and for corrupt purposes.”

Murphy did not, however, endeavor to explain what was corrupt about suggesting that the American people should not be forced to fork over tax dollars to fund Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in Central and South America or build electric cars for Vietnam.

“I think this is the most serious constitutional crisis the country has faced, certainly, since Watergate,” Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy tells @MarthaRaddatz.

“The president is attempting to seize control of power and for corrupt purposes.” https://t.co/XbLNUK9FRE pic.twitter.com/mzJMn0uscV

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) February 9, 2025

Murphy took his commentary a step further, demanding “full-scale opposition” to Musk without really detailing what he meant by “full-scale” or stating how far might be too far. He did suggest that it would ultimately come down to the people taking matters into their own hands.

“You cannot just rely on the court system when the challenge to the Constitution and the billionaire takeover is so acute and so urgent,” he complained.

Sen. Chris Murphy calls for “full-scale opposition” to Elon Musk’s influence over the federal government.

“You cannot just rely on the court system when the challenge to the Constitution and the billionaire takeover is so acute and so urgent.” https://t.co/Jfw0EoMTbI pic.twitter.com/Sdy6Z9Aehh

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) February 9, 2025

Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) defended Musk’s actions thus far, arguing that it was far from the “constitutional crisis” so any on the left have insisted that it is: “What we’re doing right now is the executive branch is trying to get control over the executive branch.”

GOP Rep. Mike Turner refutes claims that Elon Musk's massive overhaul of the federal government is a “constitutional crisis.”

“What we're doing right now is the executive branch is trying to get control over the executive branch.” https://t.co/DaIIUPsRIE pic.twitter.com/rDnLYQxqBC

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) February 9, 2025

To round out the show, The New Yorker’s Susan Glasser also weighed in, asking, “How is it possible that one unelected billionaire, the richest man in the world, can unilaterally do that without any process?”

What she — and many others — fail to recognize is the fact that everything Musk has done has been at the direction of President Trump, and Trump is the one making the final decisions.

As Elon Musk’s DOGE group shutters USAID, The New Yorker’s @sbg1 asks, “How is it possible that one unelected billionaire, the richest man in the world, can unilaterally do that without any process?” https://t.co/tEVvknlq8l pic.twitter.com/5iAUYEcOQV

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) February 9, 2025

On CBS News’ “Face the Nation,” host Margaret Brennan struck a similar tone with guest Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) — who openly referred to the actions being taken by Trump via Musk and DOGE as a “constitutional crisis.”

“We are witnessing a constitutional crisis. We are seeing an executive branch that has decided that they are no longer going to abide by the Constitution in honoring Congress’ role in the creation of agencies, in their role in deciding where money is allocated,” Omar said. “The courts are the only recourse we have at the moment.”

Omar made no effort to explain why the executive branch should not have the right to police the agencies that fell under executive purview, nor did she offer any insight as to why Democrats had actively encouraged the executive branch to go around the Republican-led House and take executive actions when the sitting president had been taking actions with which she agreed.

"We are witnessing a constitutional crisis," says Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) of the Trump administration's move to dismantle USAID.

"We are seeing an executive branch that has decided that they are no longer going to abide by the Constitution in honoring Congress' role in the… pic.twitter.com/o7kVWOfsui

— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) February 9, 2025

“Every single process that they are going through in implementing Trump’s agenda is at the moment illegal, and they know they don’t have the support for it in Congress. That’s why they are not bringing it through Congress,” Omar complained.

The Trump administration "doesn't have the numbers" to attempt to dismantle USAID through Congress, so they resort to executive action, says Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN).

"Every single process that they are going through in implementing Trump's agenda is at the moment illegal, and… pic.twitter.com/DyMPTYtn6m

— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) February 9, 2025

CBS contributor and Obama administration alum Sam Vinograd took a different approach, claiming that Trump would compromise national security if he fired too many people.

“The KGB is not shedding agents, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs is not losing diplomats. Coming back from the talent cuts that we’re seeing could have a generational impact,” she argued. She did not explain how cutting back on those responsible for DEI programs and focusing on mission first constituted “talent cuts.”

The Trump administration's "rapid elimination approach" to the federal workforce is concerning because it "creates a wildly uneven playing field with our adversaries," says CBS News homeland security contributor Sam Vinograd.

"The KGB is not shedding agents, the Chinese Ministry… pic.twitter.com/gbVnrUbdUk

— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) February 9, 2025

A relatively balanced panel on CNN’s “State of the Union” sparred over the issue on Sunday morning as well. Hosted by Left-leaning anchor Dana Bash, the panel included Democrat Xochitl Hinojosa, former Biden Communications Director Kate Bedingfield, and Republican commentators Shermichael Singleton and Scott Jennings.

“You’re putting a lot of faith in somebody whose stated aim is to move fast and break things,” was Bedingfield’s complaint.

“When you’re talking about the government, that’s what people want Trump to do,” Jennings pushed back.

“You want to make cuts? Make cuts. There are significant conflicts of interest when it comes to Elon Musk. And that is the problem,” Hinojosa claimed.

“We have been looking at these same people running this stuff for years,” Singleton pointed out. “Disrupt it, shake things up, let’s see if we can have some reform.”

CNN panel spars over Elon Musk’s tear through government:
@KBeds: “You’re putting a lot of faith in somebody whose stated aim is to move fast and break things.”@ScottJenningsKY: “When you're talking about the government, that's what people want Trump to do.”@XochitlHinojosa:… pic.twitter.com/Z092yZzCFT

— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) February 9, 2025

Trump himself defended Musk in a preview clip from his pre-Super Bowl interview with Bret Baier, arguing that the world’s richest man had nothing to gain by stepping into his role at DOGE.

“Bottom line, you say you trust him?” Baier asked Trump.

“Trust Elon? He’s not gaining anything. In fact, I wonder how he can devote the time to it. He’s so into it,” Trump replied. “But I told him, do that — and I’m going to tell him very soon, like maybe in 24 hours, to go check the Department of Education. He’s going to find the same thing. Then I’m going to go, go to the military. Let’s check the military. We’re going to find billions, hundreds of millions of dollars of fraud and abuse. And, you know, the people elected me on that.”

A clip from my interview with President @realDonaldTrump. The interview airs (in part) today at 3pmET on FOX ahead of the Super Bowl and you can catch the rest of the interview tomorrow on #SpecialReport! #fox #superbowl #foxnews #football #politics #trump #donaldtrump #president… pic.twitter.com/DHZuXa1UnQ

— Bret Baier (@BretBaier) February 9, 2025