Competence, Cronyism, Corruption & The ‘Musk’ of it All

Money perseveres, upholds, destroys. Money is at the core of every political, economic, and social decision, ranging from a purchase of bread at the grocery store to the future of the American people. Throughout American history, wealthy elites have possessed influential powers over American politics and shaped public policy. With the introduction of the new, second-term Trump Administration, the wealth disparity between those holding office and the general public is not only elevated, but it is a threat with potentially sinister intent: to dismantle democracy. President Trump introduced a new department to his agency with the swift installation of various executive orders and federal changes known as the “Department of Government Efficiency,” most commonly referred to as DOGE (Shear, 2024). Spearheading this agency is none other than the wealthiest man in the world: Elon Musk. Well known for his ownership of the technological company Tesla and his massive stake in SpaceX, alongside his ownership of the platform ‘X” (formerly Twitter), Musk is notorious. His position as head of DOGE was a peculiar introduction to Trump’s campaign, as Musk has no political background preceding this position. He was directly appointed by President Trump, excusing his absence of qualifications. This is a direct example of cronyism: the appointment of political hangers-on to office without regard to their qualifications (Merriam-Webster, n.d.). This peculiar move by the president puts his administration in a polarizing and potentially catastrophic position in that it serves as a spark for the metaphorical, destructive flame of fascism. Researcher Lawrence Britt proposes a hypothetical 14 social, political, and economic trends that have the potential to, when all coupled together, lead to a hypothetical fascist state (Britt, 2003). Trump’s blatant cronyism upholds some of these imagined fascist characteristics, and the introduction of Elon Musk into the immediate political sphere of the United States government has potentially catastrophic consequences for the American people.

In brief, Britt’s 14 characteristics of a fascist regime are as follows: Powerful and Continuing Nationalism, Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights, Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause, Supremacy of the Military, Rampant Sexism, Controlled Mass Media, Obsession with National Security, Religion and Government are Intertwined, Corporate Power is Protected, Labor Power is Suppressed, Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts, Obsession with Crime and Punishment, Rampant Cronyism and Corruption, and Fraudulent Elections (Britt, 2003) Of these 14 tenants, multiple are fulfilled with Trump’s appointment of Musk to his staff. 

Cronyism is not an uncommon concept in American politics, as seen in historical incidents such as Richard Nixon’s “Saturday Night Massacre,” in which Nixon fired independent investigators covering the Watergate scandal to protect his inner circle. The appointment of friends and associates in positions of political authority proves incredibly risky, as the lack of regard for proper qualifications provides the potential for catastrophic mistakes in policy deliberation (Dash, 1994). During Trump’s first term, his appointment of family members such as daughter Ivanka Trump and loyalists like William Barr are clear examples of abuse of power– one that favors the interpersonal relationship of leader to follower over the safety and national well-being of the American people (Goldstein and Drybread, 2022). 

What sets Trump’s cronyism toward Musk apart from previous examples is its emphasis on controlling wealth and unrestricted speech. Because Musk acquired X, one of the world’s most popular social media platforms, he now possesses the ability to transform and mold the app to his political liking. Since Musk’s takeover of the site, the increase of right-wing ideologies has skyrocketed, which creates a more polarizing experience for the general American public (Bisbee and Munger, 2025). For example, in a Pew Research Study in 2023, the share of Republican and right-leaning X users who claim the platform is “bad for American democracy” has dropped from 60% to 21%. Additionally, almost two-thirds of Democratic users have claimed that harassment is a severe issue on the platform, while only 29% of Republican users claim the same. Finally, fewer Republican users cite that content bans are an issue with their political content, whereas Democratic users face issues of censorship in their spreading of political information (Anderson, 2023). This increased control of speech on the American people proves detrimental to the future of politics and supports one of the 14 characteristics of fascism that scholar Lawrence Britt proposes: Controlled Mass Media (Britt, 2003). 

Democracy undeniably suffers a significant blow with Musk’s growing control over social media and influence on federal spending. To explore the latter, it is crucial to understand the power that the wealthiest man in the world holds as he assists in dismantling federal institutions at Trump's right hand. As a billionaire, he prioritizes the needs and desires of private agencies likely to benefit him, sidelining public interests (Reid, 2023). This self-sufficient attitude erodes the civil liberties of the American people as he increases suppression and introduces an authoritarian oversight on data privacy, social platforms, and monitoring schemes. All of these characteristics point toward increasing fascist tendencies in American politics (Nazarro, 2025).

Some could argue that Musk’s advocacy for free speech and acquisition of a popular media site promotes discourse globally, making the platform a space for increased discussion on politics and policies. However, can free speech surely be unmonitored, uncensored, and free if the unchecked power over the site itself is all-knowing and all-controlling of content? Politically, the appointment of loyalists and Trump's continuous cronyism compromises the effectiveness and efficiency of the government and assists in emboldening Trump as a potentially authoritarian leader. Musk, if left unchecked and unregulated to run rampant in the American government through DOGE, poses a serious threat to democracy and the day-to-day lives of the American people. There must be an urge to scrutinize private, wealth-focused interests in public policy and reform the seemingly "easy" ability to appoint unqualified individuals to roles of political authority.

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Shear, Michael D, Eric Lipton, Maya C Miller, Neil Vigdor, Catie Edmondson, Hamed Aleaziz, David E Sanger, et al. 2024. “Trump Empowers Musk and Ramaswamy to Overhaul Federal Government.” The New York Times, November 12, 2024. https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/11/12/us/trump-news-house-election.

 “Definition of CRONYISM.” n.d. Www.merriam-Webster.com. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cronyism.

Image Source: Geoff Livingstone, Creative Commons 2025