DOGE staff getting daily death threats, says Elon Musk
Elon Musk claims some members of his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are getting death threats on a daily basis.
The Tesla CEO and owner of X, who was speaking during a cabinet meeting at the White House, has drawn criticism over his efforts to downsize the US federal government.
In just nine weeks, entire agencies have been dismantled and tens of thousands of workers from the 2.3 million federal workforce have been fired or agreed to leave their jobs.
On Monday, US President Donald Trump gathered his cabinet secretaries, praising his department leaders for their cost-cutting measures even as he acknowledged these may not be “popular”.
Elon Musk wore a ‘Trump Was Right About Everything’ hat at a cabinet meeting on Monday. Pic: Reuters
Mr Trump said the cuts had to happen regardless of the political ramifications. “I have no idea how it plays out in the public… but it’s something that has to be done.”
The death threats, which Mr Musk claimed had been targeted at his staff at DOGE, follow recent attacks on Tesla showrooms, charging stations and privately owned cars.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the bureau was investigating what he called “the increase in violent activity toward Tesla”.
Mr Musk (far left) listening to Donald Trump at a White House cabinet meeting on Monday. Pic: AP
In a post on X on Monday, he added: “We have taken additional steps to crack down and coordinate our response. This is domestic terrorism. Those responsible will be pursued, caught, and brought to justice”.
On Monday, police in Austin, Texas said they were investigating several incendiary devices found at a dealership.
Over the weekend, there were demonstrations at Tesla dealerships across North America, and some clashes between pro and anti-Tesla protestors. A man drove his car into campaigners outside a showroom in Florida. No one was injured.
Anti-Musk protestors in New York outside a Telsa dealership on Saturday. Pic: Andrea Renault/STAR MAX/IPx/AP
Demonstrators also held up signs and chanted slogans in Franklin, Tennessee on Saturday. Pic: AP
And in California, police said a counter-demonstrator was arrested after activating a stun gun during an anti-Musk protest.
During the White House meeting on Monday, some cabinet members heaped support on Musk and DOGE, with Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lee Zeldin touting the “incredible” partnership with his department and Attorney General Pam Bondi offering praise for “Elon’s incredible team”.
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‘Many fraudulent contracts’
There were also claims that “many fraudulent contracts” had been brought to light by Mr Musk, who sat at the end of the table wearing a red “Trump Was Right About Everything” hat.
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At one point, he spoke to claim that the Small Business Association had discovered a loan awarded to a “very precocious” baby.
But there have been reports of tensions over workforce reductions, with the president saying that future cutbacks would be at the discretion of department leaders. But then later, he insisted Mr Musk would intervene if departments don’t make sufficient reductions.
White genocide is a ‘false narrative’
Separately on Monday, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa hit back at claims from Mr Musk that white people are being persecuted in his country, describing the accusations as a “completely false narrative”.
It was his latest attempt to dismiss claims from the Tesla CEO – who was born in South Africa – as well as Mr Trump.
Mr Musk has regularly accused South Africa’s government of being anti-white, and said on social media that some of the country’s political figures are “actively promoting white genocide”.
Donald Trump has said he is considering “taking away” the US citizenship of actress and comedian Rosie O’Donnell, despite a Supreme Court ruling that expressly prohibits a government from doing so.
In a post on Truth Social on Saturday, the US president said: “Because of the fact that Rosie O’Donnell is not in the best interests of our Great Country, I am giving serious consideration to taking away her Citizenship.”
He also labelled O’Donnell, who has moved to Ireland, as a “threat to humanity” and said she should “remain in the wonderful country of Ireland, if they want her”.
O’Donnell responded on Instagram by posting a photograph of Mr Trump with Jeffrey Epstein.
“You are everything that is wrong with America and I’m everything you hate about what’s still right with it,” she wrote in the caption.
“I’m not yours to silence. I never was.”
Rosie O’Donnell moved to Ireland after Donald Trump secured a second term. Pic: AP
O’Donnell moved to Ireland with her 12-year-old son in January after Mr Trump had secured a second term.
She has said she’s in the process of obtaining Irish citizenship based on family lineage and that she would only return to the US “when it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in America”.
O’Donnell and the US president have criticised each other publicly for years, in an often-bitter back-and-forth that predates Mr Trump’s move into politics.
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This is just the latest threat by the president to revoke the citizenship of someone he has disagreed with, most recently his former ally Elon Musk.
But the two situations are different as while Musk was born in South Africa, O’Donnell was born in the US and has a constitutional right to American citizenship.
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Amanda Frost, a law professor at the University of Virginia School of Law, said the Supreme Court ruled in a 1967 case that the fourteenth amendment of the constitution prevents the government from taking away citizenship.
“The president has no authority to take away the citizenship of a native-born US citizen,” he added.
“In short, we are nation founded on the principle that the people choose the government; the government cannot choose the people.”
A farmer who fell from a greenhouse roof during an anti-immigrant raid at a licensed cannabis facility in California this week has died of his injuries.
Jaime Alanis, 57, is the first person to die as a result of Donald Trump’s Immigration Compliance and Enforcement (ICE) raids.
His niece, Yesenia Duran, posted on the fundraising site GoFundMe to say her uncle was his family’s only provider and he had been sending his earnings back to his wife and daughter in Mexico.
The United Food Workers said Mr Alanis had worked on the farm for 10 years.
“These violent and cruel federal actions terrorise American communities, disrupt the American food supply chain, threaten lives and separate families,” the union said in a recent statement on X.
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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said it executed criminal search warrants at Glass House Farms facilities on Thursday.
Mr Alanis called family to say he was hiding and possibly fleeing agents before he fell around 30ft (9m) from the roof and broke his neck, according to information from family, hospital and government sources.
Agents arrested 200 people suspected of being in the country illegally and identified at least 10 immigrant children on the sites, the DHS said in a statement.
Mr Alanis was not among them, the agency said.
“This man was not in and has not been in CBP (Customs and Border Protection) or ICE custody,” DHS assistant secretary for public affairs Tricia McLaughlin said.
“Although he was not being pursued by law enforcement, this individual climbed up to the roof of a greenhouse and fell 30ft. CBP immediately called a medivac to the scene to get him care as quickly as possible.”
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Four US citizens were arrested during the incident for allegedly “assaulting or resisting officers”, the DHS said, and authorities were offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of a person suspected of firing a gun at federal agents.
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In a statement, Glass House, a licensed Cannabis grower, said immigration agents had valid warrants. It said workers were detained and it is helping provide them with legal representation.
“Glass House has never knowingly violated applicable hiring practices and does not and has never employed minors,” it added.
Donald Trump has said he is considering “taking away” the US citizenship of actress and comedian Rosie O’Donnell, despite a Supreme Court ruling that expressly prohibits a government from doing so.
In a post on Truth Social on Saturday, the US president said: “Because of the fact that Rosie O’Donnell is not in the best interests of our Great Country, I am giving serious consideration to taking away her Citizenship.”
He also labelled O’Donnell, who has moved to Ireland, as a “threat to humanity” and said she should “remain in the wonderful country of Ireland, if they want her”.
O’Donnell responded on Instagram by posting a photograph of Mr Trump with Jeffrey Epstein.
“You are everything that is wrong with America and I’m everything you hate about what’s still right with it,” she wrote in the caption.
“I’m not yours to silence. I never was.”
Rosie O’Donnell moved to Ireland after Donald Trump secured a second term. Pic: AP
O’Donnell moved to Ireland with her 12-year-old son in January after Mr Trump had secured a second term.
She has said she’s in the process of obtaining Irish citizenship based on family lineage and that she would only return to the US “when it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in America”.
O’Donnell and the US president have criticised each other publicly for years, in an often-bitter back-and-forth that predates Mr Trump’s move into politics.
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Will Trump address parliament on UK state visit?
This is just the latest threat by the president to revoke the citizenship of someone he has disagreed with, most recently his former ally Elon Musk.
But the two situations are different as while Musk was born in South Africa, O’Donnell was born in the US and has a constitutional right to American citizenship.
Read more from Sky News:
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Amanda Frost, a law professor at the University of Virginia School of Law, said the Supreme Court ruled in a 1967 case that the fourteenth amendment of the constitution prevents the government from taking away citizenship.
“The president has no authority to take away the citizenship of a native-born US citizen,” he added.
“In short, we are nation founded on the principle that the people choose the government; the government cannot choose the people.”
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