Musk’s message to veterans employed on the federal workforce; ”
Ready, Aim, Fired!”
We Went to War, Came Home, and Achieved
The American Dream. Billionaires Are Stealing It
Michael Embrich / Rolling Stone
(March 10, 2025) — When I left the military, like so many veterans before me, I believed in the promise of America. I had served my country, was deployed in support of two wars, and was ready to build a future — one that included a stable job, a home, and the security that comes with hard work and sacrifice. This was the American Dream, and for generations, veterans have played a key role in making it a reality.
From the Obama administration to even Trump’s first term and through Biden, the United States consistently strengthened support for its veterans, ensuring they had the tools not just to succeed but to thrive. I was able to use the G.I. Bill to attend college and later had the opportunity to shape policy at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, helping other veterans succeed. The system was working. Veteran suicide were declining and veteran homless rates reached an all-time low. But that is now over.
America’s true golden age was driven by veterans who leveraged the G.I. Bill — despite its inequalities — to build the most powerful economy in history. Now, a new class of billionaires, and soon-to-be trillionaires, are callously robbing America and its veterans of a second golden age. Chief among them is Elon Musk, who is on a path to becoming the world’s first known trillionaire by gutting the federal workforce, making life hell for veterans, and betraying American taxpayers by dismantling the benefits and services they fund. ‘
In their place, he seeks to impose an unprecedented system — one controlled by an oligarch, propped up by elected leaders, and built at the expense of those who served.
I recently sent an email to Mr. Musk expressing my concern about his mass and indiscriminate firings of veterans. I have yet to hear back from the esteemed thought leader.
This summer the VA plans to fire 80,000 employees, essentially doing away with a public health care system that has proven its critics wrong for over 200 years. Trump and Musk’s actions — executed by VA Secretary Doug Collins — are already having real-world consequences and will soon drag down the U.S. economy.
Veterans, who make up a third of the federal workforce, will see their spending power shrink, as will other federal employees. Many will default on taxpayer-backed VA loans, face car repossessions, break rental leases, and let subscriptions lapse, all while overwhelming unemployment and social service offices. Meanwhile, American taxpayers — not Musk, who normally avoids paying taxes as much as possible — will be left to foot the bill.
Many veterans now facing job losses voted for Trump, ironically putting their own livelihoods at risk by giving him a second term. Those recently fired from the VA, like Nathan Hooven and James Stancil, now have nowhere to turn. Veterans like Hooven and Stancil see cuts as an unjust betrayal of those who served. The very people who backed Trump are now among the hardest hit.
Unfortunately for these veterans, no rescue is on the horizon. Lawmakers like Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) are pushing back, but Democrats are fighting with one hand tied behind their back without a majority in either chamber of Congress. And with the courts historically siding with the government in cases of mass federal layoffs, few avenues remain to stop the devastation.
For veterans, this betrayal is especially cruel. Many of us joined the military not just to serve, but because we were promised opportunities afterward — education, home loans, health care, and good jobs. Their reward for service is now being taken apart by the world’s wealthiest man, who spends his days posting memes about these cuts on social media. It’s all being enabled by a president they trusted and a Cabinet of sycophants willing to forfeit their dignity to gain favor from Trump.
For now, the American Dream is on hold for veterans — and it may become unattainable for generations depending on how much damage American voters, the courts, and Congress allow Trump to inflict over the next four years. What we do know is that veteran suicide rates will rise, more veterans will lose their homes, and many will fall into substance abuse and homelessness — rendering the trillions of tax dollars invested in post-9/11 veterans meaningless.
It’s all a massive scam on the American people by Trump, Musk, Collins, and DOGE, designed to gut veteran support while securing nothing but future tax breaks for billionaires.
