Episode 108 | Elon Musk: The Unstoppable Force or an Overblown Threat?

It's Complicated

Renato Mariotti

News, News Commentary, Politics

4.8 • 1K Ratings

🗓️ 10 February 2025

⏱️ 50 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In today's all-new episode, our hosts Renato Mariotti and Asha Rangappa discuss the dangers of Elon Musk's unchecked power and influence, and whether or not the traditional mechanisms in place will be enough to curtail his power. Subscribe to our Patreon here, where paid members will get access to exclusive portions of this show. patreon.com/reallyamericanmedia The last two weeks have been a bustling whirlwind of Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s audacious reshaping of the federal government. Through frenetic maneuvers, their objectives appear to be aimed at amassing power, with a startling disregard for traditional legal structures. Asha and Renato paint a vivid picture of how Elon Musk’s takeover of key government agencies is happening so fast, existing legal guardrails are struggling to keep up. From DOGE’s unsanctioned access into Treasury payment systems, to dismantling USAID, we’ll analyze the magnitude of Musk’s influence and the massive changes happening before our eyes. Our hosts also examine the Trump administration’s abuse of legal technicalities, and shocking use of prosecutorial power to silence political opponents like Jack Smith. And we’ll take a look at how newly-minted Attorney General Pam Bondi has turned the DOJ’s focus away from pressing national security threats—instead spotlighting political vendettas. In such uncertain times, Asha and Renato implore listeners to stay vigilant and proactive. In this episode, they stress the frontline role of public awareness and engagement in preserving democracy. Stay informed, stay vigilant, stay empowered. And be sure to join us next time, as Asha and Renato break down the truths that can’t be fit into easy sound bites, or click-bait headlines. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:14.0	So, Asha, is anybody going to be able to stop Elon Musk?
0:21.6	Eh, it's complicated.
0:28.6	I'm Asha Rangappa.
0:30.6	I teach national security law at Yale University.
0:33.4	I'm a former FBI special agent, and I'm a legal contributor for ABC News. And I'm Renata Marietti. I'm a former FBI special agent, and I'm a legal contributor for ABC News.
0:38.4	And I'm Renata Marietti. I'm a former federal prosecutor, a practicing lawyer, and a legal analyst.
0:45.4	And we're here to help you understand topics that can't be boiled down into a soundbite or a riskete.
1:00.2	What is even happening? that's a great question you know it's funny asha we come on this podcast every week to try to make sense of things and explain things to folks
1:06.0	i think it's hard to keep track of what's going on, even if you're paying careful attention.
1:11.6	I don't know if you feel this way, but that's how I feel.
1:14.6	100%.
1:15.6	There's, it's just so much going on in so many different places and it's happening so quickly.
1:22.6	And a few weeks ago, we covered the shock and awe executive orders, but this has gone beyond that.
1:29.8	This is actual steps that are being taken to dismantle entire parts of our government, our government bureaucracy as we speak with people very confused, shut out of their computer systems systems who don't know what's going on.
1:46.7	And, you know, I think there is litigation that's attempting to at least pause it and put a hold on it.
1:56.4	But I think it's even challenging for the lawyers to keep up with it.
2:00.8	It is. And, you know, you, you, we had talked in the, But I think it's even challenging for the lawyers to keep up with it.
2:01.8	It is.
2:06.1	And, you know, we had talked in the very front of the show here,
	...

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