In a display of endurance typically reserved for filibusters and late-night ice cream runs, our friends across the aisle staged an all-night protest against the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Yes, you heard that right—the same folks who brought you the 24-hour news cycle of outrage have now taken their talents to the steps of the U.S. Treasury Department. Their target? None other than Elon Musk, the man on a mission to trim the federal fat and bring a dose of Silicon Valley efficiency to Washington’s bureaucratic sprawl.

Leading the nocturnal charge were Democratic stalwarts like Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representative Don Beyer. Their grievance? They accuse Musk of overstepping his bounds, alleging that his role in DOGE gives him undue influence over critical government operations, from infrastructure to military bases. It’s as if they’re shocked—shocked!—that a successful entrepreneur might know a thing or two about running things efficiently.

But let’s pause for a moment and consider the irony. These are the same lawmakers who have presided over a federal government that spends money like it’s going out of style, yet they’re up in arms when someone suggests we might want to balance the checkbook. Musk’s DOGE initiative aims to cut $500 billion in annual spending—a move that any household managing a budget would applaud.

Of course, the unions couldn’t resist joining the fray. The AFL-CIO, in a move that can only be described as peak irony, launched the ‘Department of People Who Work for a Living’ to counter DOGE. Their argument? That those who ensure public safety are better suited to improve government efficiency than Musk, whose businesses benefit from the agencies he influences. It’s a bit like saying the fox shouldn’t guard the henhouse, but perhaps they’ve forgotten that the fox in this scenario has a proven track record of innovation and success.

Critics are also up in arms about DOGE’s access to government payment systems, with some alleging that Musk’s team has unlawfully accessed sensitive information. The Treasury Department, however, has clarified that DOGE has ‘read-only’ access—a far cry from the nefarious control that some are insinuating. But why let facts get in the way of a good protest?

It’s worth noting that while the Democrats were burning the midnight oil in protest, Musk was likely still at work—after all, the man has rockets to launch and cars to build. Perhaps if our lawmakers spent a bit more time focusing on efficiency and a bit less on performative protests, we’d all be better off.

In the end, this all-night protest seems less about genuine concern for government operations and more about political theater. It’s a classic case of the establishment resisting change, clinging to the bloated bureaucracy they’ve built, and vilifying anyone who dares to suggest a better way. But as the saying goes, if you’re not catching flak, you’re not over the target. And it seems Elon Musk and his DOGE team are directly over the target of government inefficiency—and that’s precisely why they’re facing such fierce opposition.