Chuck Schumer is having a full-blown meltdown, and it’s glorious. The Senate Minority Leader has been railing against the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the cost-cutting machine Elon Musk has been leading since President Trump’s second term began. And if Schumer’s reaction is anything to go by, DOGE is doing exactly what it was meant to do—taking a sledgehammer to the bloated, corrupt bureaucratic mess that Washington elites have been protecting for decades.
Schumer took to X to deliver his latest panicked rant, declaring that “an unelected shadow government is conducting a hostile takeover of the federal government.” That’s rich, coming from a guy who spent the last four years defending a real unelected shadow government—the army of bureaucrats, regulators, and agency lifers who wield more power than most elected officials and answer to no one. But now that DOGE is putting these people on notice, suddenly Schumer is pretending to be some kind of constitutional purist.
DOGE, of course, isn’t some rogue operation—it’s an officially established entity created by executive order within the executive branch. That means it does have authority, whether Schumer likes it or not. And the fact that its primary mission is cutting unnecessary spending, rooting out corruption, and eliminating useless programs? Well, that just so happens to be exactly what Washington’s ruling class fears most.
Elon Musk wasted no time in firing back. His response? Pure gold. “Hysterical reactions like this is how you know that @DOGE is doing work that really matters.” Musk went on to remind Americans that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to finally take back control from unelected bureaucrats, calling it a battle between “BUREAUcracy” and “DEMOcracy.” And he’s right. For too long, the real power in Washington has rested in the hands of agencies no one voted for, filled with career bureaucrats who have made a living off of wasteful spending, burdensome regulations, and unchecked authority.
Hysterical reactions like this is how you know that @DOGE is doing work that really matters.
This is the one shot the American people have to defeat BUREAUcracy, rule of the bureaucrats, and restore DEMOcracy, rule of the people. We’re never going to get another chance like… https://t.co/rwBqcp7veQ
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 4, 2025
But Schumer wasn’t done. He took to the Senate floor, ranting that the American people “will not stand for an un-elected secret group to run rampant through the executive branch.” Really? Because the American people seemed to have zero say when government agencies were colluding with Big Tech to censor them, when federal officials were creating multi-billion-dollar slush funds, and when bureaucrats were making policy decisions that Congress never approved. Funny how Schumer had nothing to say about that.
Musk’s response was just as blunt as before: “He’s mad that @DOGE is dismantling the radical-left shadow government in full view of the public.” And that’s exactly the problem for Schumer and his friends—this isn’t happening behind closed doors. Americans are seeing, in real-time, just how corrupt, bloated, and inefficient the federal government has become. They’re watching as DOGE exposes wasteful programs, eliminates unnecessary spending, and forces Washington elites to explain why their pet projects deserve to keep draining taxpayer dollars.
He’s mad that @DOGE is dismantling the radical-left shadow government in full view of the public.
This is our ONE CHANCE to return POWER to the PEOPLE from an unelected BUREAUcracy back to DEMOcracy!!
Only with the support of YOU can this succeed. Thank you, unknown soldiers. https://t.co/G8ZCOUSHN6
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 4, 2025
Schumer isn’t alone in his outrage, of course. Other Democrats have joined in the pile-on, including Chris Coons, Jamie Raskin, and Jim McGovern—all of whom got their own responses from Musk. Raskin even attempted to fight back, though judging by how well this has gone for Schumer, it’s probably not a battle he should be picking.
This isn’t about “illegal” government action, as Schumer laughably claims. This is about power. The Democratic establishment—and let’s be honest, plenty of Republicans in D.C., too—are terrified that, for the first time in a long time, someone is actually taking a chainsaw to the bureaucratic machine that keeps them in control. They don’t want transparency. They don’t want accountability. And they certainly don’t want an outsider like Elon Musk proving that the government can be run more efficiently without their usual waste and corruption.
What Raskin actually means is that he wants his kickbacks and bribes to continue.
US lobbying/law firms who launder foreign donations (which are actually US taxpayer foreign aid coming full circle!) need to be investigated and shut down. https://t.co/5yVDqfZOtY
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 4, 2025
So expect more tantrums from Schumer and his allies in the coming weeks. Expect more dramatic speeches, more fake outrage, and more warnings about the so-called dangers of “dismantling government.” But here’s the reality: the people do want their government dismantled—at least, the parts that serve no purpose other than enriching D.C. elites.
And the more they scream about it, the more obvious it becomes that DOGE is exactly what America needs.