Turns out America elected Elon Musk, too
Turns out America elected Elon Musk, too
US voters re-elected Donald Trump. At the moment, it looks like they also elected Elon Musk. He's acting like a shadow president, Peter Kafka writes.
Summary
Elon Musk, having endorsed and campaigned for Donald Trump, is now acting as a “shadow president,” advising on policies and personnel, and joining Trump on calls with world leaders.
This unprecedented relationship between the world’s richest man and the leader of the free world raises concerns about the influence of wealth on government.
While both Trump and Musk have incentives to continue their partnership, their volatile personalities and differing expertise may lead to a breakup in the future.
This is the most mask-off corporatist government we've ever seen, and they haven't even been sworn in yet.
This is what happens when you pussyfoot consequences.
Just wait on the Mueller report bro. Trust me bro the wheels of justice take time.
Why hide what is clearly quite popular?
Corporate media has the public totally sold on oligopoly. Elon will run our country into the ground and the Talking Heads on his payroll will tell the whole country how hard they need to clap.
And if you won't, we all know the cops will.
"leader of the free world"
Coming from someone outside the USA: lulz, you guys don't know shit about freedom
Right? Leader of the prison capital of the world
The Land of the Free, that's why our slaves are so happy here! /s
First Lady Elon Musk.
Oh he's gonna hate that. I'm in.
Bonus: the acronym is pronounced 'phlem'.
Elonia
"Differing expertise?" They're both experts at destroying profitable businesses, and..? Narcissism? Hatred?
I don't think there's a better case of "failing upwards" than Chump and Musky Husky
An illegal immigrant in the White House? Consistency was never a strong point of the GOP.
Every accusation, no matter how absurd is a confession. Now the White House is probably gonna smell like hummus, because that's something they said would happen under Kamela (no seriously)
why would he be considered illegal
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/10/27/elon-musk-immigration/
“We don’t want our founder being deported,” said Derek Proudian, the Zip2 board member, who later became chief executive.
Literally the people working with him were afraid of his lack of visa and worked to get him one.
In a 2005 email obtained by The Post, Musk wrote that he had applied to a Stanford University graduate program, which he did not end up attending, so he could stay in the country.
He claims that he had a J-1, but unfortunately
“There are work options during studies, while engaged in a full course of study, and also after the completion of studies,” said Adam Cohen, author of “The Academic Immigration Handbook” and an attorney who specializes in employment visas. “But dropping out of school does not allow for work authorization. So there is a quite a gap there.”
He spent his time trying to get loopholes to remain, and used them incorrectly. He was an illegal.
The US presidency is no longer considered the leader of the free world... Not since 2016
2016?! My brother in christ, the corporate takeover of American government was finalized with Reagan back in the 80s.
We may be entering a new phase of Fucking Around with fascism, but most of these modern problems are just us Finding Out how a corporatocracy functions.
I have to age my self and say that I am a year younger than the end of the Regan precidency...
But I can distinctly remember people in the 90s gushing over wanting to have green cards, and getting hand made dolls and dresses from America.
And if I reflect on recent history, Nixon probably did more than Regan did to turn the helm of the ship strictly towards all the icebergs
I really like your comment, but I think Trump did what the other bafoons couldn't. Get normal people not interested in politics to understand this point. And thus both our comments have merit
Remember when every state except for fucking Minnesota voted for him?
No really, that happened
Ya know itd be a real fucken shame if this Saxon African bastard came down with a case of the dead.
"No one’s even bothering to try to kill Elmo."
Keep having thoughts like that and you'll be first in line for neuralink
The constant talk of Musk's power in the new administration must irritate the fuck out of Trump. How terrible.
Wait wait wait... You might be on to something.
If we can just get the media to jerk off Musk and make Trump feel small and inconsequential...
Jerk off MORE you mean.
That would work so well
This unprecedented relationship between the world’s richest man and the leader of the free world raises concerns about the influence of wealth on government.
The only change is that Liberals are apparently becoming aware of the power dynamic that has always existed — that democracy cannot exist with massive wealthy inequality and money equal to speech. I'm also positive that if Trump/MAGA fails to implement fascism (this time around), Liberals will believe the current system works, and completely ignore the reality that their system was almost destroyed by a small number of wealthy sociopaths.
Yeah it's a bullshit take. There's always been a bunch of money up every presidents ass. It's just public. Very very public now.
You'd think they'd get the memo after several decades of "corporations get most of what they want, without objection" while "the people can't even get basic healthcare or a minimum wage comparable to poorer countries", yet here we are... Fascism is knocking down the door, financed by the wealthiest capitalism can muster, and they still have their heads firmly planted in the dirt, blaming the left for not voting, without evidence ... when the millions of people who didn't vote may very well be just as oblivious as Trump voters, don't know how the government works, don't know the danger they're in, and don't pay enough attention to care 99% of the time.
Reminds me of when I was a kid, my mom always said she still supported Clinton because "All he did was what every other man in power did, he just got caught."
This unprecedented relationship between the world’s richest man and the leader of the free world raises concerns about the influence of wealth on government.
Raises?! Where have y'all been?
"Leader of the free world" 🤡
"raises concerns"
Ok
A little regulatory capture never hurt anyone...right?
Please deport Melon Head!
And feed the rest to the pigs.
Don’t poison those poor piggies, feed that Soylent green to the MAGAs
Deport them... To HELL!
conservatives like this they consider it good
Only until Trump throws him under the bus the first second it's convenient to do so.
Nay, when Apartheid ended he saw no ground for his business(es) in South Africa. So he moved to America. More people there to work for nothing but his wealth and their 'American Dream'!
What? Musk moved to Canada in 1989 when he was 18 to avoid national service.
Apartheid didn't end until a couple of year after that.
He's a massive bellend, and a huge leech on society with all of his government subsidised businesses, but thats not the same as making up reasons for his move.
Peter Kafka writes.
Yup, sounds like he'd know.