MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow sounded the alarm Monday night over what she called “a qualitatively more worrying” development in President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s DOGE-led restructuring of the federal government. She raised concerns that the cost-cutting agency could be transforming into an armed force.
During her show’s opening monologue, Maddow criticized the Trump administration following reports that DOGE staffers—accompanied by individuals reportedly claiming to be U.S. Marshals—had forcibly entered the U.S. African Development Foundation.
More: Lindsey Graham Explodes on CBS Host for Questioning Trump’s DOJ Crackdown on Law Firms
More: Trump Claims Victory in Golf Championship Amid Cheating Allegations
This incident followed Monday’s revelation that DOGE had “broken into” the building of the nonprofit U.S. Institute of Peace after failing to gain entry days earlier with two FBI agents. The unauthorized entries into the offices of these private, independent agencies—both of which are detached from the executive branch—sparked a fiery response from Maddow, who did not hold back in her critique of the administration’s actions.
“There are legitimate legal disputes as to whether this DOGE group has any legal authority over some of these agencies that they’re trying to get into, so they can take over their systems and fire their staff and shut them down,” Maddow argued. “Those disputes are legal disputes that need to be sorted out legally.”
She continued: “You can’t just use guns to force your way in, in the meantime, as a means of settling that dispute.” As the Trump administration’s second term unfolds, Maddow has emerged as one of its most vocal critics. She issued a stark warning to viewers: “What that is, is an armed assault on the U.S. government.”
“If there’s a legal dispute as to whether or not you are allowed in a U.S. government building and you cast that aside and say, ‘we’ve got guns,’ and that’s the grounds on which we’re coming in… that is an armed assault on a U.S. government office,” she said. “That’s a break-in, that’s ‘call the cops’ territory, that’s ‘barricade the doors’ territory.”
More: Jim Jordan Pushes FBI Jan. 6 Conspiracy Theories in Heated Fox News Rant
More: Trump Voter Regrets His Choice After ICE Detains His Immigrant Wife
The incidents at these agencies led Maddow to question whether DOGE is evolving into something beyond a budget-cutting operation, particularly if U.S. Marshals are allegedly aiding their efforts.
“Do they have an army?” she asked. “I mean, if the president has given his top campaign donor the ability to use physical force, the ability to use the force of arms against other parts of the U.S. government, we are in a different place than we thought we were.” The White House has not yet commented on the reported incidents.
For You:
- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reportedly planning big move to mend damaged reputation
- Michelle Obama Breaks Silence on Skipping Trump’s Big Day
- Prince Harry recently claimed that the Royal family took away his security to force him to return
- New Study Finds Blood Pressure Meds May Slash Dementia Risk by 15%
- Trump’s Trade War Could Leave Stores Empty, CEOs Warn in Closed-Door Meeting