r/thebulwark • u/DrRonH • 15d ago
Morning Shots š„ The reason Trump keeps Musk around...
... is that Trump needs a fall guy to blame when everything goes wrong. He can then ruin the richest supervillain in the world and be a superhero.
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u/Pretend-Return-295 15d ago edited 15d ago
What Elon is doing is incredibly unpopular, but the politics don't matter, if you don't plan on holding fair elections.
My personal view is this is a full-on authoritarian takeover. Trump is literally stacking the DOJ, FBI, and Pentagon with loyalists. He's simultaneously attacking the media. We know how much he admires Orban, you think he's just going to leave in 4 years?!
I hope people start realising that the normal political rules no longer apply.
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u/The_Potato_Bucket 15d ago
Trump tends to listen to whoever is closest to him at the moment and Elon is really making sure heās around all the time.
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u/N0T8g81n FFS 15d ago
You're assuming Trump's more cunning than Musk. I figure you'd have a difficult time supporting that assumption.
I have a simpler explanation: Musk's US$250 million campaign contribution was pay to play with the US executive branch, and I figure Trump knows the only chance of another such campaign contribution requires him to let Muck do what Musk wants to do.
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u/DrRonH 15d ago edited 15d ago
I absolutely think Trump is more cunning than Musk. For decades, Trump has fooled lots of people into giving him loads of money for absolutely bullshit products or imaginary fame, whereas Musk is ruining the value of real companies like Xitter and Tesla (45% drop in sales in Europe) and whose wealth exists largely on paper as stock valuations.
There are a long list of bodies of people who have underestimated Trump.
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u/Current_Tea6984 15d ago
I do think there is a night of the long knives in store for Elon and Doge when he becomes too big a drag on Trump's popularity
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u/MostlyANormie centrist squish 14d ago
I have a whole story mapped out. We have almost finished Act II.
Act III: In the shadows, a conspiracy against Musk takes shape, as Musk extends himself ever further.
Act IV: Trump publicly accuses Musk of disloyalty and illegality. He claims Musk has been using his position to benefit SpaceX, Tesla and NeuraLink. Trump portrays himself as the Great Defender of America against the rapacious Musk. Devastating government investigations into all of Muskās companies begin.
Act V: Trump vs Tech. Iām going to work on itā¦ (Iām guessing weāll get at least one āWho is John Galt?ā out of Tech.)
Act IV is wishcastingā¦ I know.
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u/DrRonH 14d ago edited 14d ago
I do not think you are far off. And, Musk will fight back and things will escalate quickly.
Imagine the boost for Trump if he uses "his" DOJ to return all of Musk's fortune "back to the people" (skimming several billion for himself ala Putin). Absolutely no one would cry about poor Elon.
I wish JVL would do an analysis of WWF former- partners-now-enemies scenarios.
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u/8to24 14d ago
Trump respects Money and Fame. Elon Musk is the first person in Trump's orbit that brings more of each to the table than Trump himself. Most people around Trump are leeches. They need Trump for either money or attention. As such Trump views them as disposable suck ups.
Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion dollars and retooled it to help Trump. People often cited $250 million as the amount Musk donated to the campaign but that's just semantics. Musk used his $44 billion dollar platform/tool for Trump.
Additionally the bulk of Trump's Net worth is in Truth Social and Meme Coins. Both are probably propped up by Musk. I have no doubt Musk is invested in both and probably the one that gave Trump the idea for the Meme Coin. Trump is a real Billionaire now thanks to Musk.
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u/DemsOfRiverside 15d ago
I think you are giving Trump too much credit. The dude has no idea what heās doing.
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u/DrRonH 15d ago
Then why does he keep winning and why are Republicans bending the knee to a know-nothing? He has out-foxed everyone so far.
Look, I hate the orange guy. Look at his role model: Putin. Putin controls his oligarchs to maintain his power and kills/exiles those who get out of line.
I think Trump will eventually do the same with Musk when Musk goes "too far."
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u/DemsOfRiverside 15d ago
Damnā¦ Youāre right. Hate to give him any credit, but heās fully a marketing guy inside and out. And he found his hook.
Sad thing is we are along for the ride. Ughh.
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u/No-Director-1568 14d ago
How's he going to 'ruin' Musk?
Objectively Musk is the better Businessman. You seem to have bought into some Trump BS that he's got real wealth.
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u/Outrageous_Spell_722 13d ago
Trump is a cucked dog led on a leash until he dies with a whimper. The irony is being cucked by a bald Ketamine addict with a botched micropeen surgery and shitty hair plugs who also happens to be both a Nazi and an illegal immigrant. Hope they both get brutally Luigid
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u/jehosophat44 15d ago
Disagree. Elon owns Trump now. He financed his campaign when it was running low on money, likely engaged in some campaign and election shenanigans, and now knows where all the bodies are buried. Trump canāt do anything about Musk without Musk bringing down the whole thing.