President Trump and his far-right billionaire oligarch boss Elon Musk have spent the first month of Trump’s second term going after their political enemies. First, they fired dozens of non-partisan inspectors general working to identify and prevent waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government. Then, they started using the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Justice to target journalists Trump disagrees with. Now, Elon has his sights set on using the IRS to target Trump’s enemies in Congress. Over the weekend, he reposted a thread all-but-confirming that he intends to hijack the agency’s database to access personal financial information about his political opponents and launch so-called audits against them. This marks Trump and Elon Musk’s latest attempt to silence dissent and under those who oppose them, and threatens the very foundations of our democracy. Time and again, they have shown they will stop at nothing to use the power of the federal government not to help the American people, but to target their political adversaries.
ICYMI: Elon Musk Shared A Post Seemingly Confirming He Intends To Access Personal IRS Data To Target Political Adversaries. On Feb. 17, Musk reposted a screenshot of a post on X suggesting he would use personal bank and tax data accessed from the IRS to take aim at his political adversaries, namely Democrats in Congress. The post, made in response to Democratic California Senator Adam Schiff, opined, “[Musk is] not trying to snoop around my personal finances. He’s trying to snoop around yours. Because you get paid with taxpayer money and should be subjected to these types of audits on a regular basis to flush out obvious conflicts of interest.”
BACKGROUND
Associated Press: Elon Musk’s DOGE Seeks Access To Taxpayer Data At IRS.
- “Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency is seeking access to troves of sensitive taxpayer data at the IRS, two people familiar with the inner workings of the plan who were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly told The Associated Press on Monday. If successful, Musk and his group would have access to millions of tightly controlled files that include taxpayer information, bank records and other sensitive records. The people who spoke to the AP and requested anonymity said DOGE is specifically seeking to access the IRS’ Integrated Data Retrieval System, which enables employees ‘to have instantaneous visual access to certain taxpayer accounts,’ according to the IRS website. Advocates fear that the potential unlawful release of taxpayer records could be used to maliciously target Americans, violate their privacy and create other ramifications.”
The Washington Post: Layoffs To Hit IRS As DOGE Targets Tax Collections.
- “The Trump administration is expected to begin laying off thousands of employees at the Internal Revenue Service, six people briefed on the matter said, as billionaire Elon Musk’s team begins to target tax collections. […] The layoffs are likely targeting tax collection, several of the people briefed on the matter said. Indeed, associates of Musk’s team are beginning to meet with high-ranking IRS officials about what could prove dramatic changes to the tax agency.”
The New York Times: Trump Targets a Growing List of Those He Sees as Disloyal.
- “Mr. Trump’s targeting of those he sees as disloyal is more intense and far-reaching than any that preceded it in American history, says Nicole Hemmer, an associate professor of history at Vanderbilt University who studies the presidency. […] But Mr. Trump’s efforts have extended beyond high-profile individuals and stretched down into the lower ranks of government and media.”