But when it comes to Washington, it’s Twitter that has become real life—inspiring Musk in his quest to reshape the federal government and exert influence over American politics.

Even as Mr Musk was speaking, workers at USAID ’s headquarters in Washington were being told not to come in the next day. Some 600 of the agency’s staff seem to have been locked out of their emails. That followed a weekend in which the agency’s website went offline;