WASHINGTON (AP) — Elon Musk is rapidly consolidating control over large swaths of the federal government with President Donald Trump’s blessing. The world’s wealthiest man has sidelined career officials, gained access to sensitive databases and even shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development. All of this is happening without congressional approval. Musk is working for Trump as a “special government employee,” which means he’s not subject to the same ethics and disclosure rules that are typical of government workers. Democrats fear Musk is wielding power within the federal government without accountability and potentially against the law. Trump says Musk “is doing a good job.”
(Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)