Democratic California Rep. Maxine Waters delivered an impassioned speech in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, voicing strong disapproval of both former President Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk. Speaking at a rally organized by Democratic lawmakers to protest Musk’s influence and access to information at the Treasury Department, Waters accused him of overstepping his authority and taking advantage of government resources.
“We have told you that you’ve made enough money off our government yourself, and now you want to take everybody else’s payroll and make sure that they don’t make the kind of money that you’ve made. Oh, you want to use our money to go to Mars,” Waters declared in her speech.
Accusations of Power Grab and Economic Domination
Waters extended her criticism beyond Musk, targeting Trump and other billionaires, whom she accused of attempting to consolidate power over the nation’s political and economic landscape.
“We’re in a crisis in this country because Trump and Elon Musk and the billionaires have decided they’re going to put us all in our place. They’re going to run this country. They’re going to make sure that they take over everything,” Waters said to an energized crowd.
She then rallied her audience to resist what she described as a growing power grab. “Are we going to let them do that? Are we going to let them run this government in the way that they can make even more money and so they won’t stop? It is so brazen. Every day they’re taking new actions. They’re taking executive actions. Every day they’re doing something,” she exclaimed.
Direct Attack on Musk’s Influence
Waters did not hold back in her verbal attack on Musk, directly challenging his role in the financial and technological sectors.
“We have got to tell Elon Musk that nobody elected your ass. Nobody told you you could get all of our private information. Nobody told you you could be in charge of the payments of this country,” she shouted.
Her remarks seemed to be a reference to Musk’s ventures, including X (formerly Twitter) and its push into financial services, as well as his leadership at companies like SpaceX and Tesla, which receive government contracts and subsidies. Waters implied that Musk was using public resources for personal gain while exerting increasing control over financial and technological infrastructure.
Context and Criticism
While Waters criticized Musk’s influence, it is worth noting that he has not been elected to any political office—though many top government officials, including advisors and Cabinet members, are also appointed rather than elected. However, former President Trump, whom she linked with Musk in her critique, was democratically elected in 2016 and remains a dominant force in American politics as he seeks the presidency again in 2024.
Waters also took issue with Musk’s wealth and business practices, accusing him of leveraging government resources to expand his empire at the expense of ordinary Americans.
