Little by little, congressional Republicans are waking up to discover that their own voters are in revolt against Elon Musk’s efforts to wreck the federal government. New reports from CNN and The Bulwark show that Republicans are quietly seeking to tamp down voter angst in all kinds of revealing ways. These are voters in GOP districts, but very few Republicans will prominently take on Musk, even though he is usurping their power. We talked to political science professor Elizabeth Saunders, author of a new piece for Foreign Affairs about the threat posed by Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. She reflects on how complicit GOP lawmakers are in the destruction we’re seeing unfold—and on what, if anything, might prompt them to defend the system before the damage is irreversible. Listen to this episode here. A transcript is here.
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GOP Lawmakers Suddenly Discover Their Own Voters Are Fuming at Musk
As Republicans find themselves promising angry constituents that they’ll control Elon Musk, the author of a new piece on his DOGE argues that they should step up before it’s too late.
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SpaceX CEO Elon Musk in Washington, D.C., on February 11, 2025