By Mary Jones | Monday, February 24, 2025 | 4 min read
In a week that saw political turmoil both at home and abroad, two of the world’s most polarizing figures—Donald Trump and Elon Musk—dominated the headlines yet again. From Trump’s bizarre declaration about Fort Knox to Musk’s reckless job cuts, the spectacle of power wielded without precision or foresight has left many wondering: what exactly is going on?
Former President Donald Trump, never one to shy away from controversial statements, made an eyebrow-raising announcement aboard Air Force One. Speaking to the press, he declared his intention to investigate whether the gold at Fort Knox was still there.
“We’re going to go into Fort Knox to make sure the gold is there,” Trump said. “Do you know about that? That bad bump—we’re going to go to Fort Knox, the fabled Fort Knox, to make sure the gold is there. If it’s not, we’re going to be very upset.”
Trump’s sudden interest in the nation’s gold reserves appears to stem from a long-running right-wing conspiracy theory that claims Fort Knox is empty. However, this theory has been debunked numerous times, including during Trump’s own presidency when then-Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin visited the site and released photographic proof of the gold bars inside. Nonetheless, conspiracy theories remain a key tool in Trump’s political arsenal, providing a rallying point for his most ardent supporters.
Musk’s Chainsaw Bureaucracy
Meanwhile, over in the corporate-government crossover world of Elon Musk, the billionaire continued his reckless spree of firing government workers—an act he bizarrely celebrated by brandishing a chainsaw at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).
“This is the chainsaw for bureaucracy,” Musk declared.
His metaphor is both apt and troubling. His drastic cuts have been anything but surgical, leaving vital agencies scrambling to recover. Among the most alarming layoffs were over 300 employees responsible for managing America’s nuclear arsenal. The Department of Agriculture also mistakenly fired workers responsible for handling the avian flu outbreak, and the National Park Service suffered severe cuts that could have dire consequences as wildfire season approaches.
One former park ranger summed up the stakes succinctly:
“When you go on vacation this summer, I hope there are no forest fires, ’cause I and thousands of my co-workers—other national park rangers and National Forest Service members—won’t be there to help put out the fires. So good luck with that.”
The Fallout of Reckless Leadership
Musk’s cost-cutting claims also crumbled under scrutiny. His administration boasted an estimated savings of $55 billion, but a closer examination by journalists revealed the actual number was closer to $2 billion—off by a staggering margin. The errors included an $8 million contract mistakenly listed as $8 billion and multiple contracts that were not actually terminated.
At the same time, Trump added to the chaos by pushing another unfounded claim—this time about Social Security. Amplifying a tweet from Musk, Trump alleged that millions of people over the age of 100 were fraudulently receiving Social Security benefits. The reality? The database in question includes every Social Security number ever issued, with many simply lacking a recorded death date. Government audits found virtually none of these people were actively receiving benefits, and fixing the database errors would likely cost more than any potential savings.
What emerges from this week’s political circus is a clear pattern: a reckless approach to governance fueled by misinformation, impulse, and conspiracy theories. Musk’s drastic cuts are already proving disastrous, forcing agencies to backtrack and rehire critical staff. Meanwhile, Trump continues to sow confusion with baseless claims that serve little purpose beyond energizing his base.
Both figures have positioned themselves as disruptors, eager to take a metaphorical (and literal) chainsaw to the system. But as the real-world consequences of their decisions unfold, the public outcry is growing. And if history is any indication, when that outcry reaches a boiling point—well, to borrow the words of a very wise park ranger: good luck with that.
Copyright 2025 FN, NewsRoom.
