Eileen Slovak

President Trump’s first 100 days are off and running after a shot gun start while the country holds its breath for what comes next. With headlines focused on Trumps nominations, the border, the economy and DOGE…every day there is a new surprise. Yes, America voted for better than what we had over the past four years. But…is Elon Musk a bridge too far?

We all remember Trump’s first administration. It wasn’t all that long ago, although sometimes it feels like decades. He accomplished major changes in an extraordinary way. He cut through government red tape. He shook things up. He applied the mind of a business man to the quagmire of government, mired in bureaucracy. It was a fresh, unfettered approach. He had many successes. He also had some failures. Bureaucracy does not welcome change.

Yet, in his first administration Trump also had one fatal flaw. He put his trust in people who would eventually turn against him in a damaging way. To name a few: Bill Barr, Mike Pence, John Bolton, and Anthony Fauci. He “lost” the next election and then made a spectacular comeback. That experience surely changed him. Trump supporters might have hoped for a new trend in alliances this time around. So far, the nominations seem to resonate with supporters. But what about Elon Musk?

I recall applauding when Musk took over Twitter. I was one of the hapless victims of the former Twitter regime. When I joined the platform over 10 years ago as @OverFortyWitticisms, Twitter was the wild, wild west. As a writer, I loved the challenge; make your point with 140 characters or less. I discovered Twitter ads using my own tweets were a fantastic, low-cost promotional tool for my novel. Then, in 2016 I ran a Twitter ad campaign to promote a certain candidate. The views were crazy, but back then we weren’t focused on views. I heard from Twitter. They deleted all of my ad data, including data for my novel’s paid ads. I was threatened. I shut down my account…after a download. My ad data was wiped clean, but I did screenshot views from the campaign tweets. I don’t regret running it.

I enjoyed a long social media vacation, then rejoined after Elon bought Twitter. For me it was never the same. Maybe because I was not the same. Paying for X didn’t interest me. One constant is that Social Media is ever evolving. Although, I now fear it has become so watered down, it’s boring. Social media is primarily fake, like the entertainment business. It’s the current public forum for spectacle. We watch while our attention spans wither away.  

But President Trump and Elon Musk have the country’s full attention. They have us watching the news again. DOGE has been stealing the headlines. First, there was the firing of all probationary government employees. Then, came the letter asking people to willingly resign. Now. there is a mandatory email, to answer “what did you do last week”? Failure to comply means you will be fired. What? It sounds a tad dictatorial, does it not? Wasn’t this everyone’s complaint about the Biden administration?

Newly appointed FBI Director Kash Patel has already instructed FBI employees to hold on that last directive. Other agencies are following suit. The FBI has lost serious credibility with Americans over the last few years. The hope is that Kash will sort it out fairly, now with the help of Deputy Director Dan Bongino. I have to believe some joined the agency with good cause, intent on serving a mission. Should everyone be painted with same broad brush? That seems to be the Musk approach.

If the general consensus is that the government has grown too big, remember that growth didn’t happen overnight. Like everything that grows, the change was gradual. Downsizing it also seemingly can’t happen overnight. At the same time, should progress be bogged down by the Washington, DC slow churn machine? Definitely not. What is the answer?

Rome wasn’t built in a day. It won’t be changed in a day. It also won’t be made better by taking a hammer to it. Make no mistake, Washington DC is the modern-day Rome. The country voted for cleaning up the mess, draining the swamp. What’s lurking in the depths of the swamp may prove to be a shocking discovery. This is the trajectory we’re all on now, so best to fasten your seat belts everyone.

My question today is: what’s next Elon? Gladiator games? Will you then be amused? Will America? I’d prefer to hear from President Trump. After all, we put our faith in him with the hope that he carefully chooses whom to trust.