One Federal Clause Allows DOGE To Cancel Contracts at Will
The Federal Acquisition Regulation requires the right for the government to terminate any federal contract "for convenience."
Elon Musk
Trump's Judge Bashing Provokes a Rebuke From Chief Justice John Roberts (Again)
"Impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision," Roberts noted after Trump said federal judges who impede his agenda should be fired.
Back to Work
Plus: Who's in charge of DOGE, protests over Israel's renewed assault on Gaza, and a tribute to the life of Manuel Klausner.
Allies Cancel Orders of F-35s, the Fighter Jets That Will Cost $2 Trillion
The U.S., in turn, should cancel the F-35 program altogether.
How Pokémon Helps Explain DOGE
Musk's fans and critics will keep debating whether DOGE is revolutionizing government or wrecking important institutions.
Trump Pledged To Support Tesla. His Trade Policies Will Do the Opposite.
Tariffs on steel and aluminum imports inflate the cost of electric vehicles.
Trump Declares Tesla Vandals 'Domestic Terrorists'
It's far from the first case of terrorism inflation.
Republicans May Regret Undermining Judicial Independence
Threats to impeach federal judges who rule against the government are a naked attack on their constitutionally crucial function.
DOGE Isn't Exempt From FOIA Requests, Judge Rules
The judge found that the agency's "unusual secrecy" and "substantial authority" make it subject to public record laws.
Contrary to What Trump Said, Even DOGE Does Not Claim To Have Identified 'Hundreds of Billions' in Fraud
The president's assertion is divorced from reality, and so are the "estimated savings" touted by Elon Musk.
DOGE Goes Deep State
A smaller government with a more powerful set of unaccountable executive officials is unlikely to be much of a win for liberty.
DOGE and Congress Should Look Hard at Reforming Social Security
Means-test Social Security, raise the retirement age, and let us invest our own money.
How Would Milton Friedman Do DOGE?
If the Department of Government Efficiency goes about this the wrong way, we could be left with both a presidency on steroids and no meaningful reduction in government.
Trump Admin Argues DOGE Is Exempt From Records Requests in FOIA Lawsuit
Elon Musk promised "maximum transparency," but that apparently doesn't include Freedom of Information requests to DOGE.
Interest Rates Are Falling—Thank Government Spending Cuts for That
Cuts to government spending mean fewer bonds, lower borrowing costs, and potentially a break for borrowers.
No One Cares When Presidential Advisers Want Bigger Government
Elon Musk's vague White House role is only controversial because he's trying to slash bureaucracy.
Elon Musk, Who Supposedly Is Running DOGE, Is Not Officially in Charge of Anything
The presidential adviser's lack of formal authority complicates his cost-cutting mission.
Mandate to DOGE
Plus: Romanian democracy, FEMA's insane policies, Maher on trans kids, and more...
What Did You Do Last Week?
Plus: German elections, how I almost got arrested this weekend, and more...
RIP to Government Acronyms
One perk that may materialize from Elon Musk upending the federal bureaucracy is the downfall of the government’s obsessive use of abbreviations.
The Sunny Side of Donald Trump's Power Grabs
The president is positioning himself to have much greater control over a smaller, enfeebled federal bureaucracy.
Randy Barnett: How Legal Is Trump's Agenda?
Georgetown constitutional law professor Randy Barnett discusses the legality of DOGE, Trump's executive orders, and birthright citizenship.
Social Security's Insolvency Is Driven by Benefits for the Living, Not Fraud by the Dead
Elon Musk claims to have uncovered massive fraud within Social Security, but those data are already well known and not a major problem.
DOGE's Complicated Story
Plus: When FOIA stops working, how the pandemic shifted young people to the right, and more...
DOGE Can't Slash Government Without Congress
The federal leviathan can’t be dismantled by executive action alone. To truly cut spending and rein in the bureaucracy, the administration needs buy-in from the branch that built it.
J.D. Vance Brings the Culture War to Europe: 'There Is a New Sheriff in Town'
The Munich Security Conference was supposed to be a foreign policy forum. Instead, the vice president lectured Europeans about democracy.
DOGE Needs Data To Survive. These Lawsuits Are Trying To Starve It of Information.
Nearly a dozen lawsuits allege that DOGE's access to government payment and personnel systems violates a litany of federal privacy and record-handling laws.
Elon Musk's 'Proof' of Government Waste Is in the Pudding
Is the fraud in the room with us right now? Yes.
The Disappointing Results of Trump's 'Deferred Resignation' Plan Are Part of a Pattern
Elon Musk, the president's cost-cutting czar, has a habit of overpromising and underdelivering.
DOGE Begins Publishing Data After Transparency Complaints
After Elon Musk promised "maximum transparency," the DOGE's website posted organizational charts of federal agencies and statistics on the federal work force.
DOGE Is Good. It's Not Enough.
Even if the Department of Government Efficiency eliminates all improper payments and fraud, we'll still be facing a debt explosion—which requires structural reform.
Elon Musk Implausibly Claims 'Competence and Caring' Can Cut the Federal Budget Deficit in Half
The DOGE director wildly exaggerates what can be accomplished by tackling "waste, fraud, and abuse" in government spending without new legislation.
Elon's 'Daily Proctology Exam'
Plus: Vance's AI speech, bubble boy playgrounds, Delaware antagonizes founders, and more...
The DOGE Bait and Switch
The pretend department’s downgraded mission reflects the gap between Trump’s promise of "smaller government" and the reality of what can be achieved without new legislation.
DOGE vs. Deep State
Plus: A listener asks the editors if there are reasons to be optimistic about the future of freedom in the United States.
Will Elon Musk Cut as Much Government as Al Gore Did?
In the early 1990s, Bill Clinton's administration set out to "reinvent" government. What can the mercurial Tesla CEO learn from their efforts?
Has DOGE Already Lost Its Way?
Much cutting. Very waste. But the Department of Government Efficiency might not have the legal and budgetary chops to actually reduce spending.
John Cochrane: How Will DOGE 'Disrupt' the Government?
Stanford economist John Cochrane discusses DOGE, tariffs, and what it will take to prevent a debt crisis.
USAID Paying for Politico Is a Nontroversy
There are many legitimate criticisms of both USAID and Politico; this is not one of them.
The Freakout Over 'Big Balls' and DOGE
Plus: NYC trans medicine protest, airplane collision (again), and more...
America Is Going Broke. Will the Department of Government Efficiency Help?
Eliminating the deficit requires cutting the biggest spending—defense, Medicare, Social Security. So far, Trump says he won't touch those.
Nico Perrino: What the Trump-Musk Alliance Means for Free Speech
FIRE’s executive V.P. discusses the Biden administration's failures, Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s influence on free speech, and the most pressing First Amendment issues facing the U.S. today.
Is DOGE a 'Constitutional Crisis'?
Plus: USAID and Education Department cuts, tariff deal reached, and more...
No, Elon: It Isn't Illegal To Boycott X
Elon Musk sues seven more companies for pulling advertising from his platform.
DOGE's Big Challenge: Americans Who Hate Inefficiency but Love Bloated Government
The public worries about corruption and bureaucracy, but many want more of the same.
Day 1
Plus: Pardoning the Proud Boys, revoking birthright citizenship, Elon Musk's not-a-Nazi-salute, and more...
