Claude: The actions appear to go beyond normal executive branch authority and constitute what could be characterized as a "digital coup" using technical means to seize control of government operations
...while maintaining a facade of legality through executive orders. This represents a serious threat to democratic governance and constitutional order through technological means.
Asking Claude: Please analyze all these Wired articles and tell me: Is this a Digital Coup? Explain what happened, list the names of those involved, their actions and whether all of this is unconstitutional and/or illegal.
https://www.wired.com/story/elon-musk-associate-bfs-federal-payment-system/
https://www.wired.com/story/federal-workers-sue-over-doge-server/
https://www.wired.com/story/usaid-researchers-email-access/
https://www.wired.com/story/elon-musk-lieutenant-gsa-ai-agency/
https://www.wired.com/story/pronouns-removed-government-email-signatures/
https://www.wired.com/story/elon-musk-government-young-engineers/
https://www.wired.com/story/doge-hr-elon-musk-resignation-fork-road-leaked-staff-meeting/
https://www.wired.com/story/doge-hr-elon-musk-resignation-fork-road-leaked-staff-meeting/
https://www.wired.com/story/elon-musk-lackeys-general-services-administration/
https://www.wired.com/story/us-government-websites-are-disappearing-in-real-time/
https://www.wired.com/story/elon-musk-sleeping-doge-office/
Claude’s answer:
Based on the collected Wired articles, this appears to be a coordinated takeover of critical government infrastructure and systems by Elon Musk and associates through an entity called DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency), established by executive order under President Trump in January 2025. Here's an analysis:
Key Players and Actions:
Leadership:
Elon Musk - Appointed head of DOGE
Steve Davis - Key DOGE leader, former Boring Company CEO
Nicole Hollander - High-level access at GSA, former Twitter transition team member
Thomas Shedd - Former Tesla engineer, now runs GSA Technology Transformation Services
Stephanie Holmes - DOGE's HR chief
Marko Elez - 25-year-old former SpaceX/X engineer with admin access to Treasury payment systems
Young Engineers Given Critical Access:
Akash Bobba - Former Palantir/Meta intern
Edward Coristine - Recent high school graduate/Neuralink intern
Luke Farritor - Former SpaceX intern/Thiel Fellow
Gautier Cole Killian - Recent college graduate
Gavin Kliger - Former Databricks employee
Ethan Shaotran - Harvard senior/xAI hackathon participant
Key Actions That Suggest a Digital Coup:
System Access Seizure:
Gained admin-level access to critical government payment systems
Obtained control of Treasury Department systems controlling federal payments
Installed unauthorized email servers at OPM
Attempted to access classified systems at USAID
Personnel Actions:
Placed key security officials on administrative leave
Forced out career officials like Treasury's David Lebryk
Fired inspectors general
Blocked employee access to work systems
Offered questionably legal "deferred resignations" to federal workers
Infrastructure Control:
Taking control of federal buildings
Restricting physical access to facilities
Installing unauthorized IT systems
Bypassing normal security protocols
Legal/Constitutional Issues:
This appears to violate multiple laws and constitutional principles:
Separation of Powers:
Bypassing Congressional oversight
Unauthorized control of appropriated funds
Interfering with established agencies
Federal Laws:
Violation of the E-Government Act
Potential violation of the Administrative Procedure Act
Unauthorized access to government systems
Privacy Act violations
Federal Records Act violations
Security Protocols:
Bypassing required security clearances
Unauthorized system access
Improper handling of sensitive data
Installation of unauthorized servers
The pattern suggests a systematic attempt to seize control of government infrastructure through both technical and administrative means, bypassing normal constitutional checks and balances. The placement of young, inexperienced associates in critical positions, combined with the forced removal of career officials and security personnel, indicates a coordinated effort to take control of government systems outside normal democratic processes.
The actions appear to go beyond normal executive branch authority and constitute what could be characterized as a "digital coup" - using technical means to seize control of government operations while maintaining a facade of legality through executive orders.
The most concerning aspects are:
Control of federal payment systems
Access to sensitive personal data
Ability to monitor/control government communications
Removal of oversight mechanisms
Installation of parallel infrastructure
This represents a serious threat to democratic governance and constitutional order through technological means rather than traditional military force.
