“There are some problems so big, the government must be a part of the solution”.

How does that sentence make you feel?

For many of us, we need only look at the world to know this is true. We see problems all around us - like climate change or corporate exploitation - that are simply too massive and too urgent for any individual or any community to deal with on their own.

But for the billionaires who wish to run our country like an investor board meeting, this sentence is a threat. They reject the role of government in solving problems like climate change, systemic inequality, or corporate exploitation - or even outright deny that they exist.

So when you hear that Trump has appointed Elon Musk to dismantle government programs in the name of “efficiency”, just know that the only efficiency they’re after is the efficiency with which corporations can exploit our communities with no obstacles.

Here’s just a few programs this taskforce is already set to go after. 

#1 - Consumer Financial Protections Bureau

Take the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), for example. This agency exists to protect Americans from predatory financial practices, ensuring that corporations can’t exploit everyday people through scams and fraudulent lending.

Before the CFPB’s creation, the 2008 financial crisis wiped out millions of Americans’ savings and homes because no one was looking out for consumers. But to billionaires like Elon Musk, who thrive on unchecked capitalism, the CFPB isn’t a safeguard—it’s an obstacle. Dismantling it would give them and their peers a green light to put profits over people, no matter the cost.

#2 - EPA

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is another likely target. The EPA ensures that corporations don’t pollute our air and water to dangerous levels, protecting our communities from harm.

But to the likes of Trump and Musk, who profit off of weak regulations, the EPA is simply a nuisance standing between them and their profits.

Trump rolled back over 100 environmental regulations in his first term. Meanwhile, Musk’s own corporations, Tesla and SpaceX have “racked up pollution violations” for poisoning local communities with toxic runoff.

#3 - Department of Education

Or consider the Department of Education, which plays a vital role in guaranteeing access to education for all children, no matter their zip code. This agency fights to fill funding gaps in underfunded communities and prevent discrimination based on race and gender.

To see what an unregulated, underfunded educational landscape looks like, we need look no farther than Trump’s own university, which was sued for $25 million for scamming its students.

#4 - Public Broadcasting

Finally, there’s funding for Public Broadcasting, like NPR and PBS. At a time when private media is increasingly dominated by billionaire ownership (Musk purchasing Twitter, Bezos purchasing Washington Post, the Koch brothers building the FOX media empire), public broadcasting provides accurate, in-depth reporting and programming that serves the public interest rather than corporate agendas.

Trump has railed at public media his whole political career, calling them “fake news” while promoting outlets which publish outright lies. Meanwhile, Elon Musk has turned Twitter into a platform for misinformation and flagrant racism, suppressing independent journalists and actively spreading misinformation himself.

TakeAction Roundup

When Trump and Musk seek to dismantle these programs, they aren’t just rejecting solutions—they’re denying the problems our communities face entirely. But we know better: some problems are so big, they require all of us, through our government, to solve them together.

That’s why we organize in teams of parents, renters, and more, all with the goal of pressuring our elected officials to ensure that the important government institutions in our lives serve our communities

In solidarity,

Mattias Lehman (he/him)
Narrative and Communications Director