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EXCLUSIVE: Sources tell WIRED that Elon Musk has wanted a government shutdown in part because it would potentially make it easier to eliminate the jobs of hundreds of thousands of federal workers.

“You know none of this is about saving money, right?” says a third Republican familiar with the behind the scenes push from Musk for a government shutdown. “It’s all about destroying a liberal power base.”

The possible shutdown looms as DOGE slashes its way through the government, eliminating the positions of an estimated tens of thousands of workers. “I suspect the greatest impact of a long-term shutdown is that it will encourage federal employees to leave public service sooner rather than later."