Written to my California attorney general. Feel free to copy. (Not my best writing but I think it gets the point across.)
Dear AG Bonta,
As you know, Elon Musk, a private citizen with no standing in the federal government, has unlawfully taken possession of a highly sensitive US government computer that holds confidential information on American citizens and the payments made to us through government programs. This move is illegal and must be stopped. Please use every tool at your disposal to protect us and punish Musk, Trump, Bessent, and the others responsible for this horrendous breach of our privacy and theft of our personal information.
Steve Schmidt wrote similarly today. I responded: THIS IS OUTRIGHT WAR!! We Americans have lost our country. There was no invasion via ship or plane; no bombs; no troops; no tanks; just a TRAITOROUS NEWLY ELECTED "PRESIDENT" who only cares about POWER AND MONEY ~~ enabled by a GANG of GREEDY TRAITOROUS BILLIONAIRES headed by self-appointed GENERAL ELON MUSK . Within a mere few weeks of the so-called "Inauguration" , they have TAKEN OVER THE US, effectively DESTROYED OUR GOVERNMENT and have taken over CONTROL OF THE NATION'S FINANCES. We are DOOMED! All this because fewer than 1/3rd of the voting public voted for this MONSTER and his TRAITOROUS POSSE. Thanks to those who voted for him/them and the 1/3rd who didn't vote at all ~~ WE HAVE LOST THE WAR FOR OUR DEMOCRACY. Now what?!
This is fresh hell. I believe Ron Wyden has spoken up but the entire elected Senate and House should be out for blood. There are three branches of government for a reason. The electorate should not be left defenseless.
It scares me. All of it. They have no idea or clue how they agencies work or the importance of historical knowledge on which to build. The purges are vindictive and will bring nothing but tsuris and harm to people and the economy.
They don't care how the agencies work. When you're having your car hauled off for scrap do you care how an internal combustion engine works, no. Why! Because you're scrapping it. That's why they can take a wrecking ball to everything they touch, it's not going to affect them. They have more money than they know what to do with so having millions of people suffer means absolutely nothing to them.
It would be nice to think that someone, anyone could haul Musk's ass out of the country let alone the government. Say, where is Steve, 3 Shirts, Bannon. I thought he was going to get Musk out of the White House. Is he going to be the Ernst Rohm of the Maga Movement? Where are you Mr. Big Shot, the I want to eliminate the administrative state, Bannon. I guess he's too stupid to know that when you eliminate the state you have anarchy. Just look at Haiti to see how important a functioning government is.
All these rich, pricks running around pulling all this crap. They should take a look at the history of the Russian Revolution. The rich didn't make out so well back then & my guess is it won't go well now. Remember Luigi Mangioni? There could be a whole lot more like him getting more & more pissed off. You want anarchy boys? Better be careful what you wish for. Anarchy is not easily controlled no matter how much money you have.
Please investigate ArtI.S8.C4.1.5.1 Denaturalization (Revoking Citizenship) for Elon Musk. He is proving himself to be unAmerican and totally undemocratic. I and millions of Americans would welcome his deportation.
Does any know how to initiate action to revoke Elon’s citizenship and get him the hell out of our country?
Thank goodness, Mr. Vindman, you are a member of Congress now. I hope this will be part of a floor statement you can make to the House very soon. I find it very concerning that the current administration is moving at warp speed while Dems in the House and Senate are trying to get their act together. Only a week has gone by and we are falling farther behind. The immediacy and magnitude of your subject matter has been addressed very well today by Ruth Ben-Ghiat and others. We need strong, agile and forceful leadership in Congress and they must speak up daily with actionable steps to be taken now. I can’t march as far as I once could, but I sure can call and petition my congress persons. I’m 80-years old, as mad as hell, and not going to take it any longer.
How to we stop Musk and this DOGE — Trump seems to have created a new key part of our government under the guise of just getting tips on improving efficiency from Musk. Intolerable!
We are experiencing a so-far bloodless coup d'etat. The next few weeks will determine the fate of the Trump administration and the nation. It is far easier to stop fascism in its tracks early on, than to wait to act, and thus encourage these illegal and unconstitutional acts to bloom into full-on authoritarian autocracy.
But who can act to stop this? Certainly not the military led by a drunken rapist who has locked out the legacy press in favor of fascist propaganda to further estrange people from anything resembling the truth.
Professor Cox Richardson said MAGA is a threefold alliance of billionaire robber barons, tech bros impatient of safety regulations, and white Christian nationalists, each determined to destroy the government, but each with their own separate desires.
With the six disgraces in robes dishonoring SCOTUS, I am not seeing any good outcomes here for democracy or the USA. At minimum, Trump is going to crash the economy again, just like last time.
The Democrats are asking for money to fund election 2026. Will we still be allowed to vote by then?
As Tim Snyder suggests in On Tyranny, let’s call DOGE by what it is MPRA. Musks Private Rogue Agency. It has never been a legitimate Department. Let’s not legitimize it.
I think it’s time for General Milley maybe to shake off retirement and step in. I mean if we are in unprecedented times why not take it further because I keep wondering who is going to enforce the constitution if the president himself wipes his feet on it?
The person who allowed Elon Musk’s gang of thieves access to sensitive data should be fired immediately. And security should be put in place to keep them out of any government offices - and MUSKS disguised COUP known as “DOGE” should be ended immediately!
The person who tried to stop him was placed on administrative leave and forced to retire. The new Secretary of the Treasury allowed this to happen. He was approved by most of the Senate including Democrats
Physical takeover of government buildings/facilities by Musk’s DOGs offers a great resistance opportunity. Resisters can 1) watch for arrival of the DOGs; 2) record video of the entry, but not resist; 3) call in the resistance, local law enforcement for protection, and the MEDIA; 4) surround building exits so that the exit of the DOGs will be a media event. Resist passively. Make the DOGs climb over a mountain of protesters, if they can.
Thanks for this good summary! It’s beyond time for public funding of elections so these gazillionaires can’t buy our elections and our government!! Period!
Written to my California attorney general. Feel free to copy. (Not my best writing but I think it gets the point across.)
Dear AG Bonta,
As you know, Elon Musk, a private citizen with no standing in the federal government, has unlawfully taken possession of a highly sensitive US government computer that holds confidential information on American citizens and the payments made to us through government programs. This move is illegal and must be stopped. Please use every tool at your disposal to protect us and punish Musk, Trump, Bessent, and the others responsible for this horrendous breach of our privacy and theft of our personal information.
Thank you.
Thanks very much. Don't imagine my AG in Texas will care, but it's worth a try
Ken Paxton? Ha! But he should hear from us. He needs to know that many people disagree with him.
Thank you, I wrote to AG Bonta as well prior to this hostile takeover.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/02/03/kara-murza-navalnaya-yashin-dictators-tech/
My substack has been hacked can’t get on properly says error try back later
https://apple.news/AqDJB9SmoTBWvvVukUx8Dkg
Steve Schmidt wrote similarly today. I responded: THIS IS OUTRIGHT WAR!! We Americans have lost our country. There was no invasion via ship or plane; no bombs; no troops; no tanks; just a TRAITOROUS NEWLY ELECTED "PRESIDENT" who only cares about POWER AND MONEY ~~ enabled by a GANG of GREEDY TRAITOROUS BILLIONAIRES headed by self-appointed GENERAL ELON MUSK . Within a mere few weeks of the so-called "Inauguration" , they have TAKEN OVER THE US, effectively DESTROYED OUR GOVERNMENT and have taken over CONTROL OF THE NATION'S FINANCES. We are DOOMED! All this because fewer than 1/3rd of the voting public voted for this MONSTER and his TRAITOROUS POSSE. Thanks to those who voted for him/them and the 1/3rd who didn't vote at all ~~ WE HAVE LOST THE WAR FOR OUR DEMOCRACY. Now what?!
This is fresh hell. I believe Ron Wyden has spoken up but the entire elected Senate and House should be out for blood. There are three branches of government for a reason. The electorate should not be left defenseless.
It scares me. All of it. They have no idea or clue how they agencies work or the importance of historical knowledge on which to build. The purges are vindictive and will bring nothing but tsuris and harm to people and the economy.
They don't care how the agencies work. When you're having your car hauled off for scrap do you care how an internal combustion engine works, no. Why! Because you're scrapping it. That's why they can take a wrecking ball to everything they touch, it's not going to affect them. They have more money than they know what to do with so having millions of people suffer means absolutely nothing to them.
It would be nice to think that someone, anyone could haul Musk's ass out of the country let alone the government. Say, where is Steve, 3 Shirts, Bannon. I thought he was going to get Musk out of the White House. Is he going to be the Ernst Rohm of the Maga Movement? Where are you Mr. Big Shot, the I want to eliminate the administrative state, Bannon. I guess he's too stupid to know that when you eliminate the state you have anarchy. Just look at Haiti to see how important a functioning government is.
All these rich, pricks running around pulling all this crap. They should take a look at the history of the Russian Revolution. The rich didn't make out so well back then & my guess is it won't go well now. Remember Luigi Mangioni? There could be a whole lot more like him getting more & more pissed off. You want anarchy boys? Better be careful what you wish for. Anarchy is not easily controlled no matter how much money you have.
This is all so scary! What can we do to stop this madness?
I emailed several Senators this a few weeks ago:
Please investigate ArtI.S8.C4.1.5.1 Denaturalization (Revoking Citizenship) for Elon Musk. He is proving himself to be unAmerican and totally undemocratic. I and millions of Americans would welcome his deportation.
Does any know how to initiate action to revoke Elon’s citizenship and get him the hell out of our country?
Thank goodness, Mr. Vindman, you are a member of Congress now. I hope this will be part of a floor statement you can make to the House very soon. I find it very concerning that the current administration is moving at warp speed while Dems in the House and Senate are trying to get their act together. Only a week has gone by and we are falling farther behind. The immediacy and magnitude of your subject matter has been addressed very well today by Ruth Ben-Ghiat and others. We need strong, agile and forceful leadership in Congress and they must speak up daily with actionable steps to be taken now. I can’t march as far as I once could, but I sure can call and petition my congress persons. I’m 80-years old, as mad as hell, and not going to take it any longer.
Cathie, you may be confused, the Congressperson is Eugene Vindman, the other Vindman twin not Alexander, author of this Substack.
Sure am. Thanks, Ron. Hope he shows his brother.
How to we stop Musk and this DOGE — Trump seems to have created a new key part of our government under the guise of just getting tips on improving efficiency from Musk. Intolerable!
We are experiencing a so-far bloodless coup d'etat. The next few weeks will determine the fate of the Trump administration and the nation. It is far easier to stop fascism in its tracks early on, than to wait to act, and thus encourage these illegal and unconstitutional acts to bloom into full-on authoritarian autocracy.
But who can act to stop this? Certainly not the military led by a drunken rapist who has locked out the legacy press in favor of fascist propaganda to further estrange people from anything resembling the truth.
Professor Cox Richardson said MAGA is a threefold alliance of billionaire robber barons, tech bros impatient of safety regulations, and white Christian nationalists, each determined to destroy the government, but each with their own separate desires.
With the six disgraces in robes dishonoring SCOTUS, I am not seeing any good outcomes here for democracy or the USA. At minimum, Trump is going to crash the economy again, just like last time.
The Democrats are asking for money to fund election 2026. Will we still be allowed to vote by then?
As Tim Snyder suggests in On Tyranny, let’s call DOGE by what it is MPRA. Musks Private Rogue Agency. It has never been a legitimate Department. Let’s not legitimize it.
I think it’s time for General Milley maybe to shake off retirement and step in. I mean if we are in unprecedented times why not take it further because I keep wondering who is going to enforce the constitution if the president himself wipes his feet on it?
The person who allowed Elon Musk’s gang of thieves access to sensitive data should be fired immediately. And security should be put in place to keep them out of any government offices - and MUSKS disguised COUP known as “DOGE” should be ended immediately!
The person who tried to stop him was placed on administrative leave and forced to retire. The new Secretary of the Treasury allowed this to happen. He was approved by most of the Senate including Democrats
Physical takeover of government buildings/facilities by Musk’s DOGs offers a great resistance opportunity. Resisters can 1) watch for arrival of the DOGs; 2) record video of the entry, but not resist; 3) call in the resistance, local law enforcement for protection, and the MEDIA; 4) surround building exits so that the exit of the DOGs will be a media event. Resist passively. Make the DOGs climb over a mountain of protesters, if they can.
Thanks for this good summary! It’s beyond time for public funding of elections so these gazillionaires can’t buy our elections and our government!! Period!
Thank you! It's a reassuring message. Strength in community.