Summary
Elon Musk’s $288M donation to Trump’s campaign has secured him influence, including a leadership role in DOGE, which aggressively cuts federal programs.
While their alliance is built on shared disruption and anti-“woke” policies, tensions could rise as Musk’s unchecked power draws criticism.
Musk serves as a useful foil, deflecting attention from Trump, but could become a political liability, fueling concerns over who wields real power.
Pressure from Republicans and critics like Steve Bannon may force a reckoning before the midterms.
It seems to me like Trump can’t reign him in any more. Whether that’s because Elon has dirt, because Elon has effectively stolen the bully pulpit, or because Elon has the Joe Roegan crown, it’s at least clear that Trump is biding his time hoping the Elon chaos will present an opportunity to covertly regain power, but as it is there’s nothing in sight. He’s opened the government to more corruption in the first week than Grant’s entire presidency.
Trump doesn’t have a reason to reign in Musk, yet. Musk is the tip of the spear to making changes per Project 2025 and gives Trump plausible deniability when Musk breaks things.
Because any further dirt on Trump would matter at this point…
I was thinking something along the lines of it being obvious that without his support he wouldn’t have won. Trump usually just says stuff but that one might ring hollow if Elon had more of a voice to refute it. Trump tends to only pick fights he can win with his audience, he learned his lesson about the vaccines that there are at least a few things they won’t follow him into.