Elon Musk’s “Nazi or Autism” Problem & What Trump's 26 Executive Orders Actually Do
PDS Published 01/21/2025
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Did Elon Musk do a Nazi salute?
That is what the internet has been debating in the first 24 hours of Trump’s second term after this video of Musk speaking to Trump supporters at the Capital One Arena in D.C. yesterday went viral:
“This was no ordinary victory. This was a fork in the road of human civilization. Okay. This — this. You know, there are, there are elections that — elections that come and go. Some elections are, you know, important, some are not, but this one — this one really mattered. And I just want to say thank you for making it happen. Thank you. My heart goes out to you.” 00:31 - 1:07
Right, and so with that, you had a lot of people saying that Musk appears to be doing what’s known as the “Roman salute,” which was used by Hitler, Mussolini, and other European fascists during the early 20th century.
Though, of course, it has widely become associated with Hitler, with it being used alongside chants “Heil Hitler” or “Sieg Heil.”
And since World War II, the salute has continued to be used by fascist, neo-Nazi, and white supremacist groups.
Which is why you had a lot of people on social media expressing concern about Musk’s gestures, with many arguing that he is clearly doing a Nazi salute.[] [][]
You also had some media outlets like the Guardian and the Israeli newspaper Haaretz running headlines describing Musk as doing what “appears” to be a fascist salute.
Also very notably here, we had some historical experts chiming in, including a history professor at New York University, who wrote:
“Historian of fascism here. It was a Nazi salute and a very belligerent one too.” []
As well as a historian who specializes in Nazism within the United States, who posted:
“Yes, I’ve seen the Elon Musk sieg heil. My professional opinion is that you’re all right, you should believe your eyes, and you don’t need me to tell you all what you already know is true.”[]
Beyond that, a lot of left-leaning European leaders also condemned the gesture, this notably including the German Health Minister, who tweeted:
“such a gesture, given his already known proximity to right-wing populists in the fascist tradition, must worry every democrat.”[]
Right, and that was a point that many others have echoed, arguing that this gesture can’t be interpreted in a vacuum, but in the context of Musk’s actions and beliefs, with one article published in Time explaining:
“Musk has previously been criticized for allowing pro-Nazi accounts to flourish on his platform and for posting right-wing memes and seemingly supporting antisemitic conspiracy theories, which led to an exodus of advertisers from X in 2023, and for recently supporting Germany’s far-right populist AfD party, whose leaders have made “antisemitic, anti-Muslim and anti-democratic” statements, according to the ADL.”
And others also arguing that this line of reasoning is bolstered by the fact that numerous right-wing extremists, white supremacists, and Neo-Nazis have been openly celebrating the gesture across the internet.
But, of course, on the other side, there were plenty of people defending Musk, arguing that the gesture wasn’t a Nazi salute.[][]
With many arguing that Musk was trying to do a hand gesture for “my heart goes out to you” but it just came out as awkward because he has Aspergers.
This including a history professor at Maryville College in Tennessee, who wrote:
“I have criticized Elon Musk many times for letting neo-Nazis pollute this platform. But this gesture is not a Nazi salute. This is a socially awkward autistic man's wave to the crowd where he says "my heart goes out to you."”[]
As well as the opinion editor at Newsweek, who posted:
“As a person with a *strong* track record of criticizing Elon Musk, I feel extremely confident asserting that this was not a Nazi salute. Elon Musk is a friend to the Jews. This is a man with Aspergers exuberantly throwing his heart to the crowd. We don't need to invent outrage.”[]
We also saw right-leaning outlets like Fox News spinning this whole thing as false liberal outrage.
But, most notably, you had the Anti-Defamation League — which has long been a leading source in interpreting and defining hate speech — also arguing that this wasn’t a Nazi salute, posting a statement on X writing:
“This is a delicate moment. It’s a new day and yet so many are on edge. Our politics are inflamed, and social media only adds to the anxiety. It seems that @elonmusk made an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute, but again, we appreciate that people are on edge.”[]
And adding, “In this moment, all sides should give one another a bit of grace, perhaps even the benefit of the doubt, and take a breath. This is a new beginning. Let’s hope for healing and work toward unity in the months and years ahead.”
But then you ALSO had a lot of people slamming the ADL for its response.
This including major names like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who posted:
“Just to be clear, you are defending a Heil Hitler salute that was performed and repeated for emphasis and clarity. People can officially stop listening to you as any sort of reputable source of information now. You work for them. Thank you for making that crystal clear to all.”[]
As well as Hasan Piker, who shared a tweet with screenshots of the gesture and the ADL’s response and wrote:
“cmon man”[]
With him also mentioning the gesturing during a stream where he implied he thought Musk was doing a Nazi salute and then writing in another tweet:
“its ok though he's pro israel!!!! dont worry guys!!!!”[]
Now, as far as how Musk himself has responded, he has been replying to several different posts about the controversy.
And he echoed that comment in a post of his own, writing:
“Frankly, they need better dirty tricks. The “everyone is Hitler” attack is sooo tired 😴” []
But, notably here, earlier, Musk himself also reposted a clip of the video with the hand gesture and wrote:
“The future is so exciting!!” []
But that’s where we are for now with this one, and with everything we’ve talked about, I’d really love to know what you make of all this — do you think this was a Nazi salute? Why or why not?
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Is Meta suppressing searches of Democrat-related content?
Because last night and early this morning, you had a ton of people reporting that when they searched the hashtag #Democrat on Instagram, they got a message saying “We’ve hidden these results.”[]
But claiming that, on the other hand, the search for the Republican hashtag did elicit results. []
Posts about this have been going very viral, outlets like Mashable eventually testing it for themselves and finding that, yeah, that was indeed happening on both mobile and desktop versions of Instagram.
Outlets like Axios also reporting that it was not just the word Democrat being censored, that some also could not search for things like January 6. []
With Meta telling BBC News that:[]
"We're aware of an error affecting hashtags across the political spectrum and we are working quickly to resolve it.”
And it is worth noting that by the time we started recording, it does look like the issue was solved.
Right, a search for the Democrats hashtag brought up posts, and a search for the word Democrats alone brought up relevant accounts and suggested searches.
The suggested terms did kind of seem to skew a little anti-Democrat, right things like democrats crying memes and democrats meltdown.
But it’s unclear what drives those suggestions or what they would have been 24 or 48 hours ago.
And given the timing of all this, there has been a ton of discourse over the fact that those searches were ever blocked, intentionally or not, in the first place.
Right, this coming after Trump’s swearing in just yesterday, and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg was in attendance alongside other tech and business moguls.
Meta also donated $1 million to the inauguration fund and recently changed its fact-checking system to a community notes style one, a move many saw as a shift to the right ahead of Trump’s presidency.
So you had social media consultant Matt Navarra telling BBC News that:
"In a hyper-partisan environment, even unintentional errors like this can escalate into accusations of partisanship.”
"If these issues are not resolved quickly they risk fuelling conspiracy theories and damaging Meta's reputation."
And this comes as Meta’s reputation has already faced some hits, right.
Amid its policy changes, there have been calls for boycotts.
So when this issue started popping up, you had people saying things like:
“So fascism starts the first day in office.”[]
And it is worth noting that this is not the only political issue being reported on Meta platforms right now.
Many have said that they are following accounts for Donald and Melania Trump against their wishes.
And while reports have noted that, at least in many cases, some people were just following POTUS and White House accounts that transitioned from the Biden administration to Trump yesterday, the problem did not quite stop there. []
Because as Forbes noted, some users have said they are unable to unfollow these accounts.[]
So far, Meta has not commented on this issue other than to note the follows are due to the presidential transition. []
And tons of outlets are running articles fact-checking the problem.
But the unfollowing issue adds further fuel to the fire since some people are already frustrated with Meta’s politics right now.
And so I would love to know your thoughts on this situation, especially if you experienced any of these yourself.
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It’s the second day of the second Trump presidency and there’s already way too much we need to talk about.
Right, he reportedly issued 26 executive orders, 12 memoranda, and 4 proclamations on his first day back in the Oval Office.
And of course, we can’t get into every single one right now, at least not in detail, but Imma do my best.
Right, so with that, Trump? He started with a single order revoking 78 Biden-era executive actions –
With those having dealt with everything from racial and gender discrimination, to immigration, healthcare, climate change, and virtually any other issue you can imagine.
And along with that, you had him signing an order stopping executive departments and agencies from proposing or issuing new rules until someone directly appointed or designated by Trump has a chance to approve them. []
With all of that sort of meant to start clearing the way for Trump to begin issuing and implementing his own agenda.
Notably, with that including potentially going after the Biden administration.
Right, with him also issuing an executive order to have the Attorney General and Director of National Intelligence “review” the activities of law enforcement and intelligence agencies over the past few years. []
Accusing the Biden administration of targeting individuals who voiced opposition to its policies – including by “ruthlessly” prosecuting more than 1,500 individuals associated with January 6th.[]
And saying it is now the policy of the US “to correct past misconduct by the federal government related to the weaponization of law enforcement and the weaponization of the intelligence community.”[]
And of course, Trump is already taking the first steps there, with him issuing sweeping pardons or otherwise granting some form of clemency to those involved in the insurrection – including rioters who violently attacked police.
Notably, for example, pardoning the former leader of the Proud Boys, who was serving a 22-year prison term after being convicted of seditious conspiracy –
The longest sentence handed down against any of the nearly 1,600 people charged in connection with January 6.[]
But moving on, we’re gonna break down the rest of Trump’s day one policies by category.
For example, let’s start by talking about a few of the executive actions affecting federal workers.
Right, in general, these are the ones roughly aiming to make good on Trump’s promises to “dismantle the deep state”; “drain the swamp”; or improve government efficiency.
For example, ordering “a freeze on the hiring of Federal civilian employees.”
With that one stating that “the heads of executive departments and agencies shall seek efficient use of existing personnel and funds to improve public services and the delivery of these services.”[]
But also, notably, the order not applying to military personnel or “positions related to immigration enforcement, national security, or public safety.”[]
But in any case, from there, you also have an action ending remote work policies and ordering federal workers back to the office full time.
As well as a one granting top secret security clearances to White House staff without going through traditional vetting procedures.
But then? One of the most significant ones?
It reclassifies thousands of federal employees, strips them of protections, and makes them easier to fire.
Right, according to the White House, it’s about “restoring accountability.”
And with that, it’s actually an amended and updated version of an executive order Trump signed in 2020 establishing a new “Schedule F” employment category for federal employees.
Right, that new category? It increased the president's power to remove civil servants.
Who, notably, have historically been shielded from shifts in administration.
And with that, last time, Biden actually took office and repealed the order before the Trump administration had a chance to implement it. .
And since then, it’s just been on the conservative wishlist.
Project 2025, for example, repeatedly calling for the original order to be reinstated.[]
And now, the new one?
Basically, it does the same thing, essentially by means of reclassifying certain federal workers as political appointees –
And specifically, targeting those whose jobs are "of a confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character."[]
And notably, that could reportedly give Trump power over as many as 50,000 federal workers out of a workforce of more than 2 million.[]
And for reference, new presidents typically only get to replace more than 4,000 political appointees to oversee the running of their administrations.[]
Now, that said, the order is clear that employees are not required to personally or politically support the president or his administration’s policies, but goes on to say.:
"They are required to faithfully implement administration policies to the best of their ability.”
And: "Failure to do so is grounds for dismissal.” []
And so, of course, that language hasn’t totally eased concerns that this might be a way for Trump to get rid of those who disagree with him.
The White House, for its part, framing the order as necessary to rein in rogue bureaucrats, saying:
“There have been numerous and well-documented cases of career Federal employees resisting and undermining the policies and directives of their executive leadership.” []
But then, you have people like Everett Kelley, national president of the American Federation of Government Employees, saying:
“President Trump’s order is a blatant attempt to corrupt the federal government by eliminating employees’ due process rights so they can be fired for political reasons,”
“This unprecedented assertion of executive power will create an army of sycophants beholden only to Donald Trump, not the Constitution or the American people.” []
But with that, moving on, another big chunk of Trump’s executive action dealt with hot-button conservative issues like gender and diversity.
With Trump signing one executive order just straight-up ending DEI across the federal government.
Or, at least, ordering each agency, department, or commission head to “terminate, to the maximum extent allowed by law, all DEI, DEIA, and “environmental justice” offices and positions” –
As well as related plans, programs, initiative, and performance requirements. []
Notably, with this happening as Trump’s reelection has seemingly already sparked a wave of backlash against DEI.
With companies like Meta, McDonald’s, and Walmart being among the major companies announcing the end of some or all of their diversity practices.
And then, building on that, Trump also signed an order saying that it is now the official policy of the US to recognize two sexes: male and female, and adding:
“These sexes are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality.”[]
And with that, among other things, the order requires that “government-issued identification documents, including passports, visas, and Global Entry cards, accurately reflect the holder’s sex.”
And that’s a big shift since back in 2022 that the Biden administration allowed U.S. citizens to be able to select the gender-neutral "X" as a marker on their passports.
But beyond that, the new Trump policy will also bar transgender people from accessing single-sex federal prisons, detention centers, or shelters that best align with their gender identity.
As well as halting the use of federal money for gender-affirming care.[]
Which, notably, is something several incarcerated trans people have successfully challenged in court.
And with that, I will say, almost everything we’re talking about here?
It could very well – and probably will be – challenged in court.
Which actually brings us to the next sort of big category.
And that’s immigration and the border, where in fact, multiple lawsuits have already been filed.
One, for example, being in response to Trump’s effort to make good on his promise to end birthright citizenship.
Which, if you didn’t know, is a right guaranteed by the 14th Amendment of the Constitution and affirmed by the Supreme Court more than 125 years ago.[]
And so, the executive order seems to be trying to argue for a strange reinterpretation of the amendment –
Wrongly claiming that the it’s never been interpreted to extend citizenship universally to everyone born within the United States
And then arguing that undocumented individuals and their children are not “subject to the jurisdiction” of the US and therefore are not entitled to citizenship at birth. []
With outlets like Axios reporting that “Trump is acting on a once-fringe belief that U.S.-born children of undocumented immigrants have no right to U.S. citizenship and are part of a conspiracy (rooted in racism) to replace white Americans.” []
And with that, also pointing out that Trump has repeated the theory and said that immigrants today are "poisoning the blood of our country” – arguing the language echoes the rhetoric of white supremacists and Adolf Hitler.
And with that, the birthright citizenship thing?
It’s obviously only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Trump and immigration.
Right, you also had him declaring migrant crossings along the US-Mexico border to be a national emergency –
And then, signing separate executive orders entitled “Securing Our Borders”; “Guaranteeing The States Protection Against Invasion” and “Protecting The American People Against Invasion.”
As well as ones authorizing the U.S. military to draft a plan for sending troops to the border;
creating a process which would allow cartels to be designated as foreign terrorist organizations.
suspending the refugee admissions program for at least four months
And finally, directing the attorney general to seek the death penalty for he murder of law enforcement officers and capital crimes committed by undocumented immigrants
And there’s a whole lot of detail we could get into about exactly what all of these say.
And we’re gonna definitely be talking about them more as they’re implemented and challenged in court.
But for now, let’s just talk about how we’re already seeing the impact just a day in.
Right, for example, the CBP One app, which helped facilitate the legal entry of nearly 1 million migrants since January 0f 2023? It’s been shut down.
And with that, tens of thousands of appointments have reportedly been cancelled[]
Upending plans and leaving them stranded near the border with nowhere to go.
And similarly, thanks to Trump suspending refugee admissions, you have The Guardian reporting that panic is spreading among more than 1,600 Afghans eligible to enter the US as refugees –
With them now effectively stranded in Afghanistan or neighboring Pakistan.
With many reportedly in danger and having time-sensitive reasons to leave the country. []
And so, of course, the whole situation there and with immigration in general is something we’re really gonna be keeping an eye on.
But next, we’re gonna move on to another big area, economics, and especially international trade.
Right, because there, Trump has famously promised massive tariffs against everywhere from China to Mexico to Canada.
Though, of course, when I say tariffs “against” foreign countries, they’re really taxes paid by Americans on imports from those countries.
Though, notably, Trump repeated his misunderstanding of this basic concept in his inaugural address:
“Instead of taxing our citizens to enrich other countries, we will tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens.” @15:33-15:42
And with that, since then, he’s again suggested that he might impose tariffs of as much as 25% on goods coming from Mexico and Canada.
But that said, he hasn’t unveiled a solid plan there, at least as of recording.
Right, in terms of executive action, you had him announcing an “America First” trade policy.
With, among other things, Trump floating the idea of creating an “External Revenue Service to collect tariffs, duties, and other foreign trade-related revenues.”[]
Something he first pitched just last week.
And then, otherwise, the executive order calls for an investigation into things like the country’s persistent trade deficits and the co-called “de minimis” tax exemption for imported goods worth less than $800. []
But from there, we gotta keep moving.
Right, it also won’t be a surprise that Trump has already made moves on energy and climate change –
Which are topics where the Republican party has almost the opposite stance of the Biden Administration in every way.
One of the biggest -- and most vague -- was implementing a review on “all existing regulations, orders, guidance documents, policies, settlements, consent orders, and any other agency actions (collectively, agency actions)” that are an “undue burden” on developing energy sources.
This includes pretty much every non-green energy source like coal, oil, and natural gas,
But also on nuclear and even some green energy sources like hydropower.
That naturally ties into a move to make it easier to drill in Alaska as well as trying to reverse a ban Biden implemented on offshore drilling. [news headline of that]
There are other attacks on Biden-era policies, such as the total halting of leases for offshore wind farms.
Or the removal of regulations on tailpipe pollution that incentivized manufacturers to make electric cars as well as other regulations on dishwashers, shower heads, and gas stoves.
(you might remember that last one because it turned into this whole thing about Biden wanting to “Steal” people’s gas stoves early last year).
A lot of this will be aided by Trump’s National Energy Emergency.
It’s the first of its kind and under the guise of an emergency, it lets the president skirt rules and regulations.
One offshoot from this is that it’ll probably be easier for energy, mining, and other companies that heavily impact the environment to get permits.
And lastly, the US is going to withdraw from the Paris Climate Treaty… again.
Trump did this the first time he was in office and Biden rejoined the historic climate agreement.
But we’re back to being one of the only countries not part of it.
None of this is a surprise, as Trump said as much during his inauguration:
“The inflation crisis was caused by massive overspending and escalating energy prices. That’s why today I will also declare a national energy emergency. We will drill, baby, drill!” @0:00-:014
“We will be a rich nation again and it is that liquid gold under our feet that will help to do it. With my actions today we will end the Green New Deal and revoke the electric vehicle mandate, saving our auto industry and keeping my secret pledge to our great American autowokers.” @1:10-1:35
But with that, I gotta pass this off to you.
Right, we obviously didn’t cover every little thing, we tried to cover the big stuff, but I wonder if there’s anything else you’ve come across that maybe hasn’t gotten so much attention but you think is significant?
Or, otherwise, how are you feeling? What are your thoughts on this? What are you worried about? What are you excited about? Let me know.
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Over the past several thousand years, humans have made a lot of progress in the way we take care of our babies.
Right, we’ve gone from raising them in caves and presumably fighting off predators to swaddling them in luxurious bassinets decked out with smart devices that track sleep, crying, digestion and hunger. [B roll]
But there is one thing cavewomen didn’t have to deal with while they were battling the elements: surprise paywalls. [Same B roll]
And I say that because of the ongoing controversy surrounding the Snoo bassinet. [Same B roll]
Right, it’s an electric, internet-connected bassinet that comes with a host of features meant to improve your baby’s—and by extension your—sleep. [Same B roll]
With it lulling them to sleep using sound and motion throughout the night, then, when it detects fussing, automatically responding with gradually increasing levels of both to soothe them. [Same B roll]
But the thing is, ever since July, many parents who had come to rely on these features have been surprised by a paywall.
With Happiest Baby, the company that sells the Snoo, making them sign up for a 20-dollar monthly premium subscription to continue using some of the most popular features. [Headline]
These including the sleep tracker and the so-called “weening mode,” which helps transition the baby to a bigger bed, among others.
So in the wake of this, you had a lot of people up in arms over what felt to them like a rug pull.
With one user writing on the product’s subreddit:
“It’s actually disgusting to take advantage of parents who are just trying to get their kids to sleep and already paying a large sum for the pleasure of something that a) may not work, b) can only be used for a short period before becoming useless, c) requires ongoing payment to use full features.” [Quote]
And another mother telling The Verge
“I am not opposed to the concept of premium membership if they want to add more features. I am surprised to see existing features that were advertised as coming with the Snoo suddenly being paywalled. It’s like a mechanic intentionally breaking your car just so they can sell you the repair.” [Quote same link]
But to its own defense, Happiest Baby points out that every new purchase of a Snoo comes with a free premium subscription for nine months, which covers pretty much the entire time your baby would use it. [Quote, find “nine months”]
So in effect, the only people who have to pay are second-hand buyers who get the Snoo at a discount from previous owners. [Image]
And Happiest Baby told The Washington Post that second-hand market creates a “burden,” on the company. [Quote same link]
Because without an ongoing subscription, it makes no money from the new owner, but it still has to keep and present information for them and help with any issues. [Same quote]
But for the parents who forked over hundreds of dollars for features they assumed would be free, it’s irrelevant who that money went to; it was fuckin’ expensive.
And critics argue that the Snoo is only one example of a growing tactic that’s become so infamous it’s earned a name: “software tethering.”
With the 400-dollar Miku [Mick-you] baby monitor dropping a 10-dollar monthly subscription for most of its features in 2023. [B roll, 00:13]
[Clip, 00:57 - 01:09] Caption: [Father:] “It felt like robbery to me, honestly.” [Reporter:] “What does this device do now if you don’t pay that subscription?” [Father:] “It is a camera. That’s it. It’s the technological equivalent to a $40 baby monitor.”
And sometimes, you don’t even get the option of a subscription; the software support just ends.
Like when Spotify told customers who bought its 90-dollar Car Thing device that it would stop supporting it in December, just 22 months after launching the product. [B roll, 00:10]
Or when Levi’s did the same for its 350-dollar smart jacket, which came with sensors on the sleeve that let users control their phones. [Image]
So in recent years we’ve seen consumer advocates demand stricter regulations on smart devices.
With the Public Interest Research Group’s leader for the Design to Last campaign telling the Post:
“This new technology is actually allowing manufacturers to change the way the status quo has been for decades, which is that once you buy something, you own it and you can do whatever you want. Right now, consumers have no trust that what they’re buying is actually going to keep working.” [Quote]
With him adding that this doesn’t just hurt consumers; it also hurts the Earth.
Because you’ve got all this perfectly good hardware that gets dumped in landfills just because the manufacturer pulled software support from it.
But at least on the Snoo bassinet, we’re seeing people push back. [Image]
With customers reportedly filing dozens of complaints to the Federal Trade Commission and the Better Business Bureau. [Quote same link, find “dozens”]
As well as 17 consumer protection and tech advocacy groups sending a letter to the FTC about the Snoo, Car Thing and other smart devices. [Headline]
And proposing five reforms they argue could improve the industry.
First, requiring companies to put a guaranteed minimum support time on their product’s packaging. [Quote same link, find “minimum”]
Second, requiring core functions—like an e-bike starting up, an oven heating up or a thermostat changing the temperature—to work even if the internet fails or software support ends. [Quote same link, second bullet point]
Third, encouraging companies to distribute tools and software to repurpose products after support ends. [Quote same link, third bullet point]
Fourth, forcing companies to let competitors or third-parties create tools so people can reuse or modify the products. [Quote same link, fourth bullet point]
And fifth, encourage manufacturers to build longevity into the design of their products. [Quote same link, fifth bullet point]
But all of those are just suggestions; we’ll have to see if regulators actually jump on this market or not.
And with a new administration in the White House, I’ll just say there’s some skepticism about the prospects there.
Links:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/01/18/snoo-bassinet-subscriptions/
https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/20/24202166/snoo-premium-subscription-happiest-baby
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This casino could pose a threat to national security!
At least, according to a group of nearly 200 former CIA, defense, and intelligence figures. []
Right, a bill which would be the first step in paving the way for Virginia’s 6th casino is making its way through the state Senate.
But many are taking issue with the proposed location - they’re talking about building this new casino in Fairfax County.
And they are notably looking at the city of Tysons within the county.
If you’re unfamiliar with Fairfax, it’s just outside of Washington D.C. and is the home to a whole slew of defense and intelligence organizations.
Including the CIA headquarters, the National Counterterrorism Center, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, not to mention countless contractors. []
And according to the National Security Leaders for Fairfax, the group of former spies, Fairfax County is probably home to more security clearances than anywhere else in the country.
Which, they say, prompts a serious problem if a casino is built - saying in a letter to state and local officials,
“The proximity of a Tysons casino to a significant population of government, military, and contract officials with access to highly secretive government intelligence, diplomatic, and defense information will not only attract organized crime — casinos always do — but also adversarial intelligence services looking to recruit those with such access whom they hope to blackmail.” []
With Sally Horn, the former senior director of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, telling the Washington Post,
“Problem gamblers who go into deep debt and/or fear losing their clearances and jobs if their gambling problem comes to light are prime targets for compromise and recruitment by Russia, China and others who would do us ill.” []
And this argument isn’t entirely unfounded - according to a 1992 report by the Defense Technical Information Center, gambling debts drove at least 7 Americans to sell government secrets to the Soviet Union. []
Though some state officials aren’t convinced that this is actually a threat - like State Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell (Sir-o-vell).
Who, notably, introduced this bill.
And said that if convenient gambling is enough to corrupt government spies than there are bigger issues to address. []
Especially considering the proximity of other casinos to Fairfax County - with Surovell saying to the Post,
“We already have a massive slots parlor 45 minutes west in West Virginia, MGM [casino] right over the river [in Maryland] and sports gaming on every phone in the state. So I guess the Chinese already know everything.” []
Which is a point that the former spies opposing the Fairfax casino have acknowledged.
But they argue that building a casino RIGHT THERE would magnify the temptation exponentially. []
With State Senator Jennifer Boysko (Boy-sko) saying,
“You could go on your lunch break, right? Or happy hour after work.” []
It is worth noting, though, that spies going turncoat isn’t the only argument against a potential casino.
With a group of local opponents named the “No Casino Coalition” - which includes Sally Horn - calling on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to reject the casino’s construction due to potential harm to local businesses.
With the Coalition also claiming that having a casino in the neighborhood would, quote, “increase gridlock and public safety problems, lower property values, and encourage risky behaviors.” []
Of course, there’s the other side, too - the money side.
With a 2019 state study saying that a casino in Northern Virginia could generate as much as $155 million in annual tax revenue and create at least 3,200 jobs. []
And the real estate company pushing for this project puts those numbers even higher - estimating somewhere around $400 to $500 million a year in tax revenue.
But, notably, reportedly 70% of that tax revenue would go to the state rather than the county. []
And some critics say that there are other uses for the proposed casino site that could bring in more tax revenue for county coffers, specifically.
And some lawmakers have argued that building a casino in Tysons goes against the development plans that local officials have already established. []
With all this back and forth, there isn’t a clear answer about whether this casino is actually getting built.
Because even if Surovell’s bill gets passed, there are still several steps before anyone can break ground.
Because this bill doesn't automatically give the greenlight - it just allows Fairfax’s Board of Supervisors to call a referendum on a casino and give county voters the final say. []
With the Board’s chairman noting that the county “didn’t seek” the ability to hold a casino referendum. []
But should the bill pass in the General Assembly, it’ll be up to voters - with one supervisor noting that much of the community hasn’t weighed in on the idea yet. []
So we’re just going to have to wait and see.
In the meantime, I would love to know your thoughts about this - especially on this idea about government workers being overly tempted by casinos.
Let me know in those comments down below.
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