(Photo
by
ANGELA
WEISS/AFP
via
Getty
Images)
Elon
Musk’s
cost-cutting
efforts
are
mostly
a
farce
to
sell
chintzy
merchandise
to
America’s
most
gullible
marks.
The
“Department
of
Government
Efficiency”
is
not
an
actual
cabinet
department,
but
rather
rebrand
of
the
existing
US
Digital
Service,
an
organization
that
—
despite
Musk’s
self-branding
—
cannot
actually
do
much
but
break
the
White
House
website.
Not
that
his
lack
of
actual
authority
matters
much.
Musk
is
still
boasting
about
bringing
the
same
energy
to
America
that
Javier
Milei
brought
to
Argentina
where
he
haphazardly
slashed
government
departments
to
deliver
a
government
surplus.
He’s
also
doubled
the
poverty
rate.
Here
in
America
we
actually
know
how
to
deliver
a
budget
surplus
because
the
Democrats
did
it
in
the
90s
and
every
Democratic
president
curtails
the
budget
deficit
year
after
year
only
to
watch
it
explode
under
every
Republican
president
since
Nixon
has
left
office
having
thrown
the
country
into
deeper
budget
shortfalls
than
when
they
arrived.
But
that
would
require
“rich
people
paying
taxes”
so
instead
Musk
and
Trump
will
engage
in
the
kayfabe
that
there’s
a
magical,
untapped
reserve
of
government
“waste”
that
can
just
be
eliminated
to
cover
the
couple
trillion
dollar
hole
in
the
deficit
that
Trump’s
tax
cuts
create.
Somehow
I
don’t
think
they’re
going
to
get
there
by
firing
a
handful
of
public
service
attorneys
but
that’s
not
really
the
point.
When
the
new
administration
took
office,
it
trumpeted
a
Federal
Civilian
Hiring
Freeze.
Like
most
of
the
administration’s
efforts,
many
assumed
this
would
be
a
slipshod
publicity
stunt
from
the
gang
that
couldn’t
shoot
straight.
But
now
we’ve
heard
from
young
lawyers
expected
to
start
work
with
multiple
government
agencies
finding
out
that
their
jobs
have
been
cut
as
part
of
the
farcical
efficiency
experiment.
The
annual
Attorney
Honors
Programs
run
by
the
DOJ
and
other
executive
agencies.
These
are
the
jobs
that
recent
law
school
graduates
can
do
while
maintaining
their
eligibility
for
a
competitive
job
offer
while
they
are
not
yet
ready
to
start
full-time
employment.
It’s
a
uniquely
harsh
knee
to
the
genitals
because
the
Attorney
Honors
Program
attracts
a
lot
of
candidates
who
have
now
missed
out
on
last
fall’s
interview
cycle
and
have
now
learned
—
a
few
months
from
graduation
—
that
the
solid
service
jobs
they’d
opted
to
take
are
just
gone.
Some
tipsters
who
reached
out
to
us
confirmed
that
they
turned
down
returning
offers
for
Biglaw
firms
to
accept
the
DOJ
position.
Hours
before
inauguration,
the
IRS
seemingly
expected
to
go
forward
as
usual,
probably
expecting
any
hiring
freeze
to
come
with
the
usual
carve
outs
for
positions
like
these.
Often
highly
credentialed
positions
are
excluded
from
freezes
because
the
government
requires
some
key
competencies.
But
competency
is
not
a
priority
for
DOGEheads
and
so
—
by
the
end
of
that
very
evening
—
the
IRS
was
already
sending
out
offer
retractions.
Obviously
the
IRS
is
an
agency
that
this
administration
holds
in
particularly
low
regard,
but
it’s
not
the
only
one
facing
cuts.
We’ve
heard
but
haven’t
been
able
to
hear
back
about
the
CFPB,
a
perennial
GOP
hobby
horse.
Nor
have
we
locked
down
reports
of
this
is
happening
at
DHS,
which
one
would
think
is
the
agency
Trump
most
needs
staffed
up
to
deal
with
the
bazillion
lawsuits
he’s
about
to
get
for
trying
to
start
a
mass
deportation
including
a
bunch
of
American
citizens.
One
might
have
thought
main
Justice
would
avoid
staffing
hiccups,
but
apparently
not.
The
DOJ
Civil
Division
blasted
its
Honors
lawyers
with
an
automated
email
from
the
Office
of
Attorney
Recruitment
and
Management
informing
them
that
their
jobs
were
gone.
We
already
know
the
administration
is
straight
up
shuttering
the
civil
rights
division
for
retooling,
so
it’s
hard
to
imagine
anyone
got
to
keep
their
jobs
over
there
either.
The
bleeding
may
not
be
limited
to
the
incoming
Honors
folks.
Above
the
Law
is
hearing
unconfirmed
reports
that
other
term
employees
at
DOJ
have
been
affected
as
well.
Online
boards
include
reports
of
DOJ
SLIP
(2L
summer
internships)
having
offers
revoked
and
that’s
almost
certainly
spilling
over
to
other
agencies.
Now
might
be
a
good
time
to
make
a
run
on
your
bank
like
an
extra
from
It’s
A
Wonderful
Life,
because
the
FDIC
is
sending
out
messages
revoking
job
offers
to
lawyers.
One
tipster
reports
that
people
who’ve
had
their
jobs
lined
up
for
months
are
getting
dropped
with
little
more
than
a
“We
wish
you
success
in
your
future
employment
endeavors.”
Yes,
they’re
making
cuts
at
the
“people
who
make
sure
your
bank
doesn’t
lose
your
money”
agency.
The
real
damage
from
this
assault
on
young
lawyers
will
be
felt
down
the
road.
A
whole
crop
of
attorneys
will
not
now
enter
public
service
and
future
law
students
will
look
askance
at
federal
jobs.
At
least
if
they’re
applying
in
an
election
year.
For
positions
that
rely
on
quality
applicants
willing
to
trade
compensation
for
prestige
and
job
security,
the
government’s
talent
pool
could
take
a
measurable
hit
going
forward.
But
Elon
will
report
that
he
managed
to
claw
back
$100,000
here
and
there.
I’m
sure
that
will
take
care
of
that
deficit
once
he
finds…
let’s
see
here…
30
million
federal
government
lawyers.
Joe
Patrice is
a
senior
editor
at
Above
the
Law
and
co-host
of
Thinking
Like
A
Lawyer.
Feel
free
to email
any
tips,
questions,
or
comments.
Follow
him
on Twitter or
Bluesky
if
you’re
interested
in
law,
politics,
and
a
healthy
dose
of
college
sports
news.
Joe
also
serves
as
a
Managing
Director
at
RPN
Executive
Search.