The first three weeks of the second Trump Administration resemble a video game – lots of noise, lots of explosions, lots of cartoon characters running amok while points tally up with every movement of the game controller or computer mouse.  Alas, the American people are not cartoon characters, and our democratic institutions are not video games.  The Musk/Trump attempt to tear down government activities on which tens of millions, perhaps hundreds of millions, of Americans rely is contemptible and, if successful, will have long-ranging and long-lasting effects on the people our government is supposed to serve.  

Certainly, any institution or government should have periodic reviews or audits to ensure that the organization is operating as it was designed and using best practices to provide its services. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors conducts a review every few years; the Lines of Business (LOBs) review that began in 2016 reviewed nearly 400 Lines of Business that shape the county’s strategic direction and validate county priorities.  It was a long process; reviewers, usually board members, found the exercises interesting and exhilarating at times, and other times overwhelming and draining during the two years of examination.  Unlike the Musk/Trump operation, county departments and agencies continued to operate during the review, as services had to be provided until the elected board could decide to make changes through a public process.  No offices were closed, no names removed from buildings, and no “special government employees” gained access to computer systems and private information of county taxpayers during the LOBs review.  The board, staff, and community members collaborated on the outcomes, which included a revised retirement plan for new hires, tightening up space allocations, merging of some cross-agency functions which resulted in abolishing a county department, and consolidation of design/build functions from several agencies.  

The Musk/Trump desire to be the disruptive centers of attention, no matter the issue, ignores what could have been a collaborative mission between the executive and legislative branches of government to find efficiencies and decide, together, the best way forward.  Instead, we have chaos and cold-hearted shutdowns of programs that few or none of the Musk/Trump team members ever have needed or understand.  The overseas food distributions that USAID has made for decades are possible because American farmers grow and harvest the food in those “From the American People” crates and bags. The weapons systems that the U.S. sends to Ukraine are built by American industries in Alabama and other states.  A quick check of election returns would reveal that farm states and nearly all the southern states voted for Trump, probably not realizing that they also were voting against their own self-interests.  The consequences of losing millions of dollars of government contracts will be enormous to those local and state economies.  

Congress has been especially timid in exercising its role as an equal branch of government under the Musk/Trump administration. Speaker Johnson has ceded any leadership and authority to the White House, and many Democrats seem able only to rail against what is happening in ever-increasing rants in front of closed buildings.  Good photo ops for newsletters, perhaps, but not a very effective use of the microphone. A better approach might be to do a little research and explain to constituents the effects of federal disruption on their home districts, as Senators Warner and Kaine and Representatives Beyer and Connolly have done here in Northern Virginia.  Capitol Hill phones have been deluged with calls, and those calls (or emails) need to continue.  Voting every two, four, or six years is not the only political activity to undertake. Voice your objections, in a civil manner, to your elected officials.  Let them know how Trump Administration actions are affecting you, your family members, and your neighbors.  Give specific and concrete examples.  By the same measure, if your elected official takes a position you agree with, thank them.  

Despite the Musk/Trump assertions that the 2024 presidential election result is a mandate, it was not. It was verification that the nation continues to be closely split, almost 50-50. That’s a tremendous challenge, whether Democrat, Republican, Independent, or no affiliation.  Democracy is not a zero-sum game, or a video game. Where are the leaders who will help swing the pendulum back toward the center, and unite the nation rather than divide it?