Marjorie Taylor Greene targets nonprofits with wild accusations, a federal court smacks down Trump-era firings, and Elon Musk publicly dumps Donald Trump—all in one jaw-dropping week for democracy.
I just can't make this up. Another week, another spate of events that make plain that the world is taking crazy pills.
On Wednesday, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene's House subcommittee on government waste held a hearing about nonprofits. Its title? Public Funds, Private Agendas: NGOs Gone Wild. As Gene Takagi notes, that name was a "giveaway about the majority's objective and predetermined conclusion." Diane Yentel, CEO of the National Council of Nonprofits, was the sole witness brought to testify in support of the nonprofit sector. She performed admirably, but it will take much more than her solid advocacy to resist this ridiculous narrative.
Also this past Wednesday, a federal appeals court in Boston unanimously sided with a trial court that had ruled the Trump Administration likely broke the law in trying to dismantle the Department of Education. This ruling is important, since it supports the unwinding of the attempted reduction in force. But we must recognize that courts do not have the power to waive a magic wand and make things the way they were. Imagine. You're a part of DOE, were terminated, and have been told that the department will be eliminated. Furthermore, if you come back to work your boss would be someone who confuses artificial intelligence with a steak sauce. Would you return to that job?
Also this week, the richest man in the world and the sitting president had a very public break-up. Subscribing to the theory that dissention within the opposing camp is always better than unity, I will be buying popcorn and watching with interest.