Make sense of what matters in Washington  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

February 07, 2025 TIME's New Cover: Inside Elon Musk's War on Washington BY PHILIP ELLIOTT Senior Correspondent, TIME Editor's note: Today, we're highlighting TIME's latest cover story on Elon Musk. Phil will be back with his next column soon. The standoff at 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue was not much of a spectacle. On the first day of February, a handful of men working for Elon Musk had come to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), a few blocks from the White House, demanding full access to its headquarters. The agency's staff refused. No guns were drawn. No punches thrown. Nobody involved the police. But in these early days of the Trump Administration, perhaps no other scene revealed more clearly the forces reshaping America's government. On one side stood an institution with a 64-year history, a $35 billion budget, and a mission enshrined in federal law. On the other stood Musk's political wrecking crew. READ THE STORY » Read More on Trump As Musk Targets Federal Data, Obscure Agency Plays Key Role The Office of Personnel Management may be the most powerful human resources department in America. How Trump's Foreign-Aid Freeze Is 'Shaking the Whole System' "These are real people, real lives, hanging in the balance." What to Know About Trump's Issue With South Africa "We will not be bullied," South Africa's President told his nation's Parliament on Thursday. Can Trump Dismantle the Department of Education? Here's what to know.   Want more from TIME? Sign up for our other newsletters.         Subscribe to TIME TIME may receive compensation for some links to products and services in this email. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Connect with TIME via Facebook | Twitter | Newsletters PRIVACY POLICY | YOUR CALIFORNIA PRIVACY RIGHTS Questions? Contact politics@time.com Update your email preferences or unsubscribe here © 2025 TIME USA, LLC. All rights reserved. TIME Customer Service, P.O. Box 37508 Boone, IA 50037-0508, United States of America Terms of Service