During the first 100 days of any U.S. presidency, key priorities are often set in motion. For President Donald Trump’s administration, those early days were marked not by policies benefiting working-class Americans, but by sweeping deregulation, mass dismissal of watchdog agencies, and unprecedented access granted to corporate elites. Few individuals appear to have benefited more from these changes than tech billionaire Elon Musk.
From halted investigations into employee discrimination at Tesla to the silencing of oversight concerning questionable research practices at Neuralink, Musk’s corporate empire has experienced a golden era of freedom from federal scrutiny. This article takes a deep dive into how Musk reaped the rewards of Trump’s regulatory rollback and what it means for the future of American workers, consumer safety, and democratic accountability.
🚀 Elon Musk’s Government Role: From Tech CEO to Washington Insider
One of the most striking developments was Elon Musk’s appointment as a special government employee, tasked with leading the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Under the guise of trimming bureaucratic fat, DOGE has aggressively targeted federal agencies responsible for corporate oversight—many of which were investigating Musk’s companies.
DOGE’s Real Mission: Shielding Corporate Power?
Though branded as a program to improve efficiency, DOGE quickly became a wrecking ball aimed at the institutions tasked with protecting workers, consumers, and public funds. For Musk, this position granted an unparalleled opportunity to not only shape federal policy but to deflect investigations that threatened the profitability of his companies, including Tesla, SpaceX, and Neuralink.
⚖️ Vanishing Oversight: The End of Investigations
Let’s examine how Musk’s businesses directly benefited from Trump’s sweeping efforts to dismantle regulatory structures in the first 100 days:
1. Tesla and the Department of Labor
In 2024, Tesla faced a federal audit from the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP). This agency ensures that federal contractors follow anti-discrimination laws. Tesla, however, had come under fire for fostering a hostile work environment rife with racial discrimination and sexual harassment.
OFCCP investigations could have led to millions in fines and even barred Tesla from lucrative government contracts. But in his very first week in office, Trump signed an executive order effectively dissolving the OFCCP. The investigation into Tesla was dropped, sending a clear signal: billionaire interests came first.
🛑 Result: Workers lost a key line of defense against discrimination, and Tesla dodged potentially damaging legal action.
2. Neuralink and the USDA Scandal
In 2022, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s inspector general began investigating Neuralink, Musk’s brain-implant startup. The inquiry was reportedly tied to animal testing violations, after several experiments led to the deaths of monkeys due to rushed timelines and poor lab conditions.
Within days of taking office, Trump illegally fired inspectors general across 17 federal agencies, including the USDA. Without oversight, the investigation into Neuralink vanished.
🧠 Result: Musk avoided consequences for potentially unethical research practices, while public scrutiny was squashed.
3. Starlink, SpaceX, and USAID
Perhaps most alarming was Musk’s entanglement with USAID (U.S. Agency for International Development). SpaceX’s subsidiary Starlink had been contracted to provide internet access to war-torn Ukraine, funded by American taxpayers.
However, questions soon emerged: Did Russia gain access to the Starlink system? A USAID investigation began, but with Trump’s DOGE agenda zeroing in on eliminating foreign aid programs, the agency was quickly defunded and dismantled.
📡 Result: Serious questions about national security and public spending were buried before answers could emerge.
4. Tesla’s Self-Driving Tech and the DOT
Just before Trump’s inauguration, the Department of Transportation (DOT) launched an investigation into Tesla’s self-driving technology. Tesla vehicles had the highest number of crashes per driver, raising serious safety concerns.
Rather than proceed with the investigation, Trump’s administration moved to loosen safety regulations on autonomous vehicles.
🚘 Result: Tesla’s reputation remained intact, and the company continued to market its self-driving features unchecked—despite real threats to public safety.
🏛️ A Dangerous Precedent: When Billionaires Police Themselves
Musk’s gain during the first 100 days of Trump’s presidency wasn’t coincidental—it was the result of deliberate policies that stripped away accountability mechanisms designed to protect the public. With DOGE acting as a bulldozer against regulatory oversight, Musk enjoyed unparalleled freedom to grow his empire without interference.
The Bigger Picture:
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Worker protection weakened
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Environmental hazards unchecked
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Animal welfare violations ignored
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Federal contracts potentially influenced by personal access to data
The consequences are staggering—not only for those working in Musk’s factories and labs but for the integrity of democratic institutions that depend on transparency and accountability.
📉 The Collapse of Federal Accountability
The role of inspectors general and federal watchdogs is to ensure that public resources are used responsibly. By removing these checks and balances, Trump’s administration enabled billionaires like Musk to operate in a regulatory vacuum.
Key departments like:
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Labor
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Agriculture
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Transportation
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USAID
…were all targeted, defunded, or dismantled, often in ways that directly benefited Musk.
🔐 Data Access and Surveillance Concerns
As head of DOGE, Musk also had access to sensitive governmental data. This opens the door to a new layer of concern—what happens when a private billionaire can access federal data systems?
If Musk gains competitive advantages in future contracts or uses insider information to fuel his businesses, it would create an uneven playing field for other innovators and risk serious breaches of public trust.
🌎 Environmental Impact Largely Ignored
Beyond labor and legal issues, there are growing environmental concerns tied to Musk’s ventures. SpaceX rocket launches, lithium mining for Tesla batteries, and infrastructure development for Starlink all carry significant environmental risks.
Yet, under Trump’s watch, environmental protections were among the first to go—effectively giving Musk a free pass to pollute, extract, and expand.
⚠️ What This Means for the Future
The cozy relationship between billionaires and the federal government under Trump has set a dangerous precedent. When business magnates can silence investigations, influence agency closures, and shape policy to their advantage, the balance of power shifts dramatically away from the public good.
Elon Musk may have had a banner first 100 days under Trump, but that success came at a high cost:
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Working Americans lost protection
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Government transparency took a hit
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Democratic norms were eroded
The question now is: Who will hold the powerful accountable when the watchdogs are gone?
🧭 Final Thoughts: A Wake-Up Call for Accountability
Elon Musk’s explosive growth as a tech leader and entrepreneur is undeniable—but so are the troubling implications of his political entanglements. As voters, taxpayers, and citizens, it’s essential to demand:
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Strong oversight mechanisms
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Protection for whistleblowers
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Transparent government contracting
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Ethical corporate practices
Without them, we risk turning democracy into a playground for the rich, where rules apply only to the powerless and billionaires govern without consequence.
📢 Let’s Keep the Conversation Going:
If you found this article informative, share it with friends, coworkers, or on social media. Public accountability starts with awareness—and it's up to us to protect the values that hold the powerful in check.
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