Billionaire oligarch Elon Musk recently took a moment away from dismantling the U.S. federal system to change his X handle to a testicle joke. Joining his new “Harry Bolz” moniker was a line in his bio that referenced discount circumcisions, a juvenile jab at USAID. Though it appears Musk has changed his X handle back at least for now, it’s a remarkable moment for reasons that are no joking matter. Musk and Donald Trump have made it their mission to undermine, defund, and dismantle the U.S. federal system, including the Department of Education and other critical programs. Now Musk is crying “judicial coup.”
From Harry Bolz to Cancer Research Cuts
Trump may not like sharing the limelight with Musk, but that hasn’t dissuaded the Tesla CEO from his Harry Bolz moniker and other stunts. “Stunts” may be the operative word, as the main point appears to be rage-baiting his opponents. Why? Presumably, because it distracts Americans from the actual issues they’re facing (and probably also just amuses him). In a recent X post, Musk even claimed that “Democracy in America is being destroyed by judicial coup.” The supposed coup he’s talking about? Federal judges doing their jobs by following the law and rejecting unlawful orders from Musk and his allies.
Judge Angel Kelley of the Federal District Court of Massachusettsย did just that. Kelley temporarily blocked the federal cost-cutting directive issued by the Trump administration, siding with the 22 Democrat-led states who argued for a pause. Late Monday night, the judge expanded the pause on cuts to the National Institute of Health. Some in Elon’s comment section were also vocal about the issue. As one commenter said,
It seems you’ve mistaken the judiciary for a speed bump on your personal highway of whims. [….] The judiciary isn’t staging coups; they’re doing their job, which is to interpret the law, not to bow to the throne of the POTUS.
Just because Musk is a troll who amuses himself with Harry Bolz jokes doesn’t mean he isn’t also a fascist fighting to cut cancer research and other life-saving federal programs. Of course, Musk and his team know they’re provoking a constitutional crisis, and that’s the point. Like other fascists before them, they’re hoping that judges and others will bend the knee and comply in advance. So far, Judge Angel Kelley isn’t, nor are others.
