General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsI think some people are misinterpreting the Trump-Musk dynamic.
People seem to want to paint Trump as some sort of unwilling puppet of Musk, insisting that Musk is the true President in fact, calling him "President Musk," etc.
And that's a great way to troll Trump and get under his skin. But it's not really accurate, IMHO.
The paradoxical thing about Trump is that he absolutely loves power and being in charge, but he doesn't like being President.
He loves the adulation, the entourage, the idea that he can rename places at the blink of an eye or threaten to take over whatever sovereign land or throw the economic markets into an instant frenzy over tariff threats, and then instantly calm them like he's Jesus Christ by pulling back. It feeds his ego--which is insatiable, but still needs to be constantly fed.
He doesn't like being President not necessarily because he's lazy or stupid (although a very good argument could be made for him being both of those things), but rather because of the constraints put on the Presidency. The constitutional checks and balances from the other two branches. The oversights. The limits.
And most importantly of all, the President's duties towards the citizens. Trump has zero interest in helping the people, serving the people, protecting the people. He's 100% interested in helping only one person, and that's himself. And he has no interest at all in a government that has responsibility towards its own citizens.
So he's just as happy to get rid of that role of government. He wishes to govern by fiat and personal will, not a Constitutional mandate. He wants to be Emperor Trump, not President Trump.
Enter Elon Musk.
Musk gladly takes on the role of Trump's hatchet man, to destroy everything good that the government does for its citizens, so that all is left is a hollow shell that serves only to glorify him.
Trump himself lacks the wits and energy to do all this himself, so he basically outsourced it all to Musk, a man who happily feeds on chaos. And destroying government--like destroying Twitter--creates lots and lots and lots of chaos.
If this were Star Wars, think of Elon Musk as Grand Moff Tarkin, the ruthless commander of the Death Star who goes from planet to planet destroying everything in sight.
Meanwhile, Trump is Palpatine, with a little Jabba the Hutt mixed in.
No, actually a lot of Jabba the Hutt mixed in, if you know what I mean.
For now, it's a symbiotic relationship between Trump and Musk.
Could it turn sour? Will they turn on each other?
Knowing their egos and volatile personalities, most likely it will. I don't think we've reached that stage yet.
Right now, they're still very much a dangerous dyad working in concert with one another. A two-headed monster.
Midnight Writer
(25,758 posts)Kasich and Trump were vying against each other for the Republican Presidential nomination.
Trump offered to let Kasich run as his Vice President. In that role, Kasich would be in charge of the day-to-day workings and policies of the Executive Branch, while Donald would be the ceremonial figurehead, like the King.
In other words, Kasich would do all the work and Trump would get all the adoration and credit.
Trump will be OK with Musk as long as Musk is pissing people off. Trump will only feel threatened by Musk if Musk starts getting a lot of adoration and accolades. That is not likely to happen because Musk can't stop being an asshole.
Native
(7,389 posts)gab13by13
(32,789 posts)When Trump and Musk go head to head, disagree on an issue, Musk is going to prevail every time.
Musk is running the show, Trump signs pieces of paper given to him.
Did Trump kick Musk out of the West Wing?
Musk works for Putin, Trump works for Musk. Trump is figure head president.
Saying President Musk gets under Trump's skin is right, because he knows it's true.
Also, an added caveat, Musk got Trump elected president.
DENVERPOPS
(13,003 posts)but Putin put Musk in charge, over Trump........
LiberalArkie
(19,919 posts)But Trumps were just volatile real estate dealings. Now Musks are different. Musk gets nations to use his products and then at his whim turns them off. I have no problem believing that when Musk allowed Ukraine to use StarLInk that he did not have a back door and the data was sent to Russia.
EX500rider
(12,777 posts)I don't think they had anything to do with PayPal or Tesla and they certainly didn't want to help SpaceX steal all their launch business
LiberalArkie
(19,919 posts)accused Trump of various things. People who have not been sent to jail couldn't have really been guilty of anything, could they. Just simple fines don't mean anyone is a bad person.
There is Twitter. https://cybernews.com/news/elon-musk-twitter-acquisition-russia-investment/
And SpaceX. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/russian-oligarch-held-stake-musks-135342238.html
In general. https://apnews.com/article/musk-putin-x-trump-tesla-election-russia-9cecb7cb0f23ccce49336771280ae179
Dem4life1234
(2,533 posts)Always wondered that.
Native
(7,389 posts)malaise
(298,039 posts)This is the white supremacists and billionaires club
mtngirl47
(1,262 posts)He has fulfilled his life-long dream to be in the room with the richest people in the world.
He has been given carte blanche by the supremes to do whatever he wants.
He will get to take his retribution and vengeance with no recourse.
We will have to fight and claw our way back to a semblance of the country he fucking wanted to make great again.
And he will hopefully be dead.
4catsmom
(667 posts)by proxy
Dulcinea
(10,318 posts)...so he bought himself a president.
lonely bird
(3,039 posts)Saw something the other day that said Trump is a solipsist meaning extremely self-centered. The point is insulting him doesnt really phase him. This is because any attention, good or bad, is attention on him. I think that the same applies to Musk.
They are psychologically damaged in some manner.
As for Musk being the hatchet man? Well, he isnt subject to the 25th amendment. Trump is. Imo, Trump needs to keeps his enemies or potential enemies under scrutiny. Of course, since he loves chaos that is probably what he is doing anyway.
The bottom line is the country and world will suffer and are suffering.
mzmolly
(52,861 posts)Its Trump. He hired Musk. Hes the President. Hes responsible. Period PERIOD.
robbob
(3,750 posts)where GW just basically handed over 80% of the presidential duties to his running mate
DENVERPOPS
(13,003 posts)as HWBush, running EVERYTHING under Reagan.....
I would love it, if instead of Trump this or that, or Musk this or that, we edited the word "Trump" and "Musk" out of everything here on DU and instead substituted the word REPUBLICANS........
In all reality, if the REPUBLICONs in the Senate hadn't backed everything Trump, Trump wouldn't have lasted a week into his first term.
That is a fact that seems to be ignored.................
Don't feed into either one of their egos, by naming them. They just eat it up when we do it...............Blame the TRUE degenerates
We should also do the same with anyone within the Trump CABAL...........................
Nasruddin
(1,303 posts)The problem is, the two have the same problem
calimary
(90,835 posts)LymphocyteLover
(10,163 posts)which might resonant more with most people
TBF
(37,237 posts)Elon's insatiable greed and I'd throw a couple more heads on that monster. It's kind of terrifying.
Mr. Evil
(3,472 posts)It will work until there is only one steak in front of them and both want to eat it at the same time. They'll end up eating each other's face.
Initech
(109,274 posts)Trump is just a figurehead for authoritarians to gain and keep power. He's the face of their movement. While we're distracted by his vile and bullshit, they're getting away with some truly evil shit behind the scenes that we don't know about.
Texin
(2,869 posts)TSF was given unlimited and unchecked power by the five Supremes with no legal liability so long as he was/is exercising his presidential authority. By installing the apartheid-Hitler-loving South African so-called American citizen with no *official* office or *official department*, TSF can claim plausible deniability for Musk's actions. I think Ramaswamy saw the handwriting on the wall and got the hell out of Dodge while the getting was good. He could keep his hands clean (or as clean as they are at any given time) and not risk legal jeopardy in future. Musk OTOH is acting like Musk has always acted: like a narcissistic authoritarian know it all range within the autistic spectrum that he occupies.
Meowmee
(9,212 posts)But imo P is directing things and others. M talks to P a lot so it is said. Hopefully they will do each other in somehow.
hay rick
(9,725 posts)Last edited Tue Feb 11, 2025, 10:28 PM - Edit history (1)
Trump has clearly been unfit for a long time and it gets visibly worse every day. It's obvious to all, including those who voted for him. He is useful to tech, oil, and finance as long as he is able to demolish structures that restrain their activities, power, and profits. If he establishes the de facto right to ignore judicial rulings and secures another large tax cut he will have very little remaining value to the oligarchs while his liabilities increase exponentially.
When it comes time to choose between Trump and Musk/Vance/Thiel/Murdoch/billionaires, the calculation could be easy. Trump is a banana peel away from his drooling on his tie years. He has no successor. Musk, Vance, and others will be around for decades. Their wealth and power will only increase with the looting they are in the process of arranging. They can finance or flush any politicians that want to sit on the fence.
Almost all Trump voters know that Trump is clownishly unfit- they just can't talk about it. They don't want to learn about issues- they just want to watch the spite show. That can be choreographed by others.
Initech
(109,274 posts)Then we have Dictator Vance. That's why he was chosen.
Eko
(10,118 posts)Joinfortmill
(21,679 posts)1. The 125m Musk gave him
2. Technical expertise Musk has to implement the planned coup
usedtobedemgurl
(2,071 posts)To tell him he us NOT president and to go away, the toddler had to hear it somewhere. Maybe from dear old dad, Eloon? Maybe the orange menace believes he is president, it I seriously doubt he is. The ego on that man fills up a room. Can you see him allowing anyone, but especially a four year old, tell him to shut up and go away, he is not president? Something is going on there, especially when the toddler's dad is go ing a press conference in the Oval office. Spoon was flexing his muscles. Donnie sat quietly. Didn't even flinch when told he was not the president. I would believe a toddler over that lying sack of shit, any day!
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