‘The biggest heist in American history’: DC is just waking up to Elon Musk’s takeover

Demonstrators hold signs during a protest against Elon Musk outside of the US Department of Treasury building in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, February 4th, 2025.

The long block outside of the US Treasury Department on Tuesday was lined with protesters. They flooded across the street with signs bearing slogans: “Nobody elected Musk”; “This is illegal”; “Stop the coup.” It was one of multiple DC protests targeting billionaire Elon Musk’s reported access to core government payment systems, attended by Democratic members of Congress — and citizens who fear too few people are standing in Musk’s way.

“What we’re witnessing here is the biggest heist in American history,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) told the tightly packed crowd, which was peppered with signs, surgical masks (a common protest security measure), and an orange mylar balloon that resembled a cartoon of President Donald Trump. The vibe was orderly but energetic. Some signs called for Musk’s arrest, and at one point, protesters began an impromptu chant of “lock him up.”

In just the last few days, Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) — a new temporary organization Trump created out of the United States Digital Service and appointed Musk to lead — have consolidated power and targeted a growing list of federal departments. He’s taken it upon h …

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