Trump and Musk: A Pivotal Alliance Shaping the Race for the White House

10 months ago

12

Print

Share

The relationship between Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk goes beyond mere support for the upcoming November 2024 election.

On August 12, 2024, the two exchanged conspiracy theories and far-right ideas that have defined them for years.

A special meeting on X, which was watched by nearly a million people and lasted about two hours, was held between Trump and his wealthy supporter, Elon Musk.

Trump reiterated his promise to carry out the largest mass deportation of immigrants in U.S. history if elected President.

The two discussed immigration extensively, with Trump and Musk comparing undocumented migrants to “zombie apocalypse.”

They also criticized what they called the coup against President Joe Biden following the Democratic Party's nomination of Vice President Kamala Harris for the White House.

Initial Support

During the interview, Trump spoke about the assassination attempt on him, saying, “If I hadn't turned my head, I wouldn't be talking to you right now — as much as I like you.”

Musk praised Trump’s courage and reaction, stating, “And if they don’t think the American president is tough, they will do what they want to do.”

The American billionaire announced his support for Trump following the assassination attempt on July 13, 2024, during a speech at a rally in Pennsylvania.

Musk tweeted at the time, “I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery.” He also called for the immediate dismissal of the head of the Secret Service.

Still, Musk pledged to allocate around $45 million monthly to a new super PAC in support of Trump’s campaign.

Musk’s endorsement of the former president was widely viewed as unexpected due to their previous disagreements.

In a statement after the interview, a Harris campaign spokesperson, Joseph Costello, said, “Trump's entire campaign is in service of people like Elon Musk and himself — self-obsessed rich guys who will sell out the middle class and who cannot run a livestream in the year 2024.”

This raised questions about the reasons behind the recent rapprochement and support between the two men, and how it might impact the outcome of the U.S. election.

The Richest and the Most Powerful

On July 16, Axios noted, “Elon Musk's embrace of Donald Trump is poised to have a determinative effect on the Tesla, SpaceX and X boss' empire.”

Musk, as the world’s richest person, is aligning himself with someone who could become the world’s most powerful person for a second time.

Axios explained that Musk’s empire was initially built with government support, and he has a vested interest in maintaining that.

The report cited Tesla’s early federal loan, which was crucial for its survival and ability to market its electric cars, and its placement on the list of companies eligible for U.S. tax exemptions.

X also benefits from legal protection under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (CDA), which shields social media companies from liability for user content.

Axios also pointed out that Musk’s support for the former president is driven by his desire to alleviate the pressure from the Securities and Exchange Commission due to his controversial social media statements, which could be mitigated if Trump returns to the White House.

Relationship Evolution

Over the past years, the relationship between Musk and Trump has undergone multiple changes. They had exchanged sharp criticisms online during Trump’s presidency.

However, their shared interests have put an end to old disputes. Trump, who had been skeptical of electric cars and had previously vowed to eliminate federal support for them, praised Tesla, Musk’s company.

Prior to their recent conversation, Trump stated that he had no choice but to support electric vehicles to gain Musk’s endorsement, calling Tesla’s products fantastic.

Trump went back on X in 2022 after Musk took over, following the deletion of his account soon after the January 6th Capitol riots. This comeback gave his presidential campaign a big lift, sparking a wave of major ads on the platform.

Right-Wing Ideas

There is a deeper dimension to the relationship between Musk and Trump that extends beyond shared interests, involving right-wing ideas and ideology embraced by the American billionaire, who views the former president as the ideal candidate to achieve these goals.

On March 10, 2024, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported that Musk’s political leanings, long difficult to classify by traditional political definitions, have become unmistakably far-right.

Musk uses his platform, X, to highlight issues prioritized by conservative networks like Fox News and far-right movements across the U.S. and Western countries, such as anti-immigrant sentiment and white supremacy.

The agency noted an example of this shift when Musk, echoing a conspiracy theory popular in far-right circles, claimed that President Joe Biden is bringing in immigrants for their votes, which he argued would result in something much worse than the September 11 attacks of 2001.

The Wall Street Journal reported on August 16, 2024, that since Musk’s acquisition of Twitter, now X, he has clearly shifted his political stance to the right.

This move challenges the prevailing notion that Silicon Valley, the U.S. tech hub, is a stronghold of wealthy liberals indebted to the Democrats.

The Journal added that in 2020, Trump’s share of the vote in Silicon Valley was below 25 percent, but it now seems to have increased slightly, especially with strong support from Musk and the “PayPal Mafia.”

Influence of the Alliance

The strong alignment between Musk and Trump has led many American political analysts to question the impact this relationship might have on the outcome of the U.S. presidential election.

American political consultant Renee Carr noted that X has become an extremely biased platform with a highly partisan message since Musk acquired it.

She added that the interview between Musk and Trump attracted Trump’s supporters, who showed their backing through both following and donating, leading to the campaign’s biggest fundraising night.

Following the interview, Trump’s campaign raised over $35 million in just one night.

This was underscored by Casey Burgat, Director of Legislative Affairs at George Washington University, who stated that X has become incredibly effective in supporting Trump’s presidential bid.

He explained that the platform directly reaches about a billion people who want to hear this kind of direct messaging.

This translates into a high number of views and donations, as these are precisely the individuals Trump’s campaign aimed to reach.

Burgat emphasized that Musk’s influence among candidate supporters is the largest and most impactful, as he is the actual owner of a platform with unique algorithms.

Burgat also noted that Musk has millions of followers and can spread misinformation, which he tends to do, and cannot be held accountable due to the lack of legislative constraints on social media.