Search
AI-powered search, human-powered content.
scroll to top arrow or icon

us-government

The rise of Elon Musk's DOGE under Trump

In a few short weeks, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has rapidly reshaped the federal government, firing thousands of workers, slashing spending, and shutting entire agencies. DOGE’s actions have faced some pushback from the courts, but Musk says he’s just getting started. On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer sits down with WIRED Global Editorial Director Katie Drummond for a look at President Trump’s increasingly symbiotic relationship with the tech billionaire, Musk’s impact on politics and policy, and what happens when Silicon Valley’s ‘disrupt-or-die’ ethos collides with the machinery of the US government. Is DOGE’s work the beginning of a necessary restructuring, or will it only inject more chaos into the system? In other words, will a Silicon Valley mindset make–or break–Washington?“

If you ask the individuals working for DOGE, if you ask Elon Musk, they're doing the right thing. They are undertaking a revolution to save the United States,” Drummond says, “If you ask any of the civil servants or the federal workers who've lost their jobs, there is a deep sense of concern, of dread that this revolutionary effort will destroy so much of what powers this country.”

GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, the award-winning weekly global affairs series, airs nationwide on US public television stations (check local listings).

New digital episodes of GZERO World are released every Monday on YouTube. Don't miss an episode: subscribe to GZERO's YouTube channel and turn on notifications (🔔).GZERO World with Ian Bremmer airs on US public television weekly - check local listings.

Read moreShow less

Will the Trump-Musk relationship last?

How long will President Donald Trump’s relationship with Elon Musk last? The alliance has so far defied predictions from the left (and parts of the right) that a relationship between two famously impulsive and mercurial billionaires would eventually lead to conflict. Instead, Musk is everywhere in the Trump administration—attending cabinet meetings, shaking hands with world leaders, smiling in the Oval Office. Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, has embedded itself across nearly every federal agency. In many ways, the relationship is mutually beneficial: Musk has an almost limitless checkbook to bankroll Trump’s political operations, and DOGE is helping him deliver on a campaign pledge to “shatter” the deep state. Meanwhile, Musk has become the most powerful person in Washington, not named Trump. But the president also has a history of discarding allies when they are no longer valuable and many of his close advisors have become his harshest critics. So, can the Trump-Musk alliance survive for the long haul, or is it destined to go up in flames?

Watch the upcoming episode of GZERO World with Ian Bremmer on US public television this weekend (check local listings) and at gzeromedia.com/gzeroworld.

The Kremlin

Are Russia and China trying to recruit disgruntled US federal employees?

China and Russia are reportedly looking to exploit US federal workforce cuts by targeting recently fired or at-risk federal employees in national security roles for recruitment, according to sources familiar with US intelligence. The quarries? Employees with top security clearances and information about America’s critical infrastructure and government operations.
Read moreShow less

The ChatGPT logo, a keyboard, and robot hands are seen in this illustration.

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

OpenAI launches ChatGPT Gov

On Tuesday, OpenAI announced ChatGPT Gov, a version of its popular chatbot specifically built for US government agencies. It’s similar to the enterprise version of the software but claims to have enhanced security features that can handle “non-public, sensitive information.”
Read moreShow less
Paige Fusco

Graphic Truth: Where the US government gets its revenue

The US government currently raises about $5 trillion a year in revenue. That plus another $2 trillion in debt are what make up the nearly $7 trillion that Uncle Sam spends annually.

Read moreShow less

A general view of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) building, in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, October 20, 2021

Graeme Sloan/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect

Antitrust is coming for AI

The US government's two antitrust regulators struck a deal to divvy up major investigations into anti-competitive behavior in the AI industry. The Justice Department will look into Nvidia’s dominance over the chip market, while the Federal Trade Commission will investigate OpenAI and its lead investor, Microsoft.

Read moreShow less

3 themes to watch as US election season begins

Jon Lieber, head of Eurasia Group's coverage of political and policy developments in Washington, DC, shares his perspective on US politics.

With the Iowa caucuses coming up, what are the big themes to watch in American politics this year?

Monday of next week is the first day the official kickoff of the US presidential campaign season, even though it feels like it's already been going on for six years. It really only starts on next Monday with the Iowa caucuses begin. Donald Trump has a big lead in the Republican primary. Nobody's challenging President Biden on the Democratic side. And so here are three themes to watch throughout this election year.

Read moreShow less

The U.S. Capitol.

Reuters

The US government is heading toward a shutdown. What does that mean?

The US government looks set to shut down this Sunday after House Republicans indicated that they would not support a bipartisan Senate bill that would fund the federal government past this weekend’s deadline.

Absent a last-minute agreement, many federal agencies could soon shut down, while millions of federal workers could be placed on furlough without pay due to a lapse in funding from Congress, which controls the purse strings.

Read moreShow less

Subscribe to our free newsletter, GZERO Daily

Latest