Jessica Tarlov noted that the world's richest man is cutting public spending while having billions in federal contracts and a litany of potential conflicts of interest.

Elon Musk’s role as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency, also known as DOGE, is on the surface a dramatic effort to overhaul the inefficiencies of federal bureaucracy. But beneath the rhetoric of cost-cutting and regulatory streamlining lies a troubling scenario.

Musk has consolidated control over large swaths of the government with President Trump‘s blessing since assuming leadership of the Department of Government Efficiency.