The dirty war between Musk and Trump, an opportunity for the old MAGA guard

WashingtonAn early June afternoon and a post about Jeffrey Epstein. These were the two unknowns (when and how) that remained unresolved in the predictions of the breakup between Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Since the South African joined the Republican's campaign on July 13 of last year—hours after the Butler attack—many had already predicted a train wreck between the two billionaires' egos. The dirty war full of reproaches and threats of harming others is a confirmation of the collision of vanities. But it's not just a matter of ego. Underlying this is the conflict of interests that has always existed since the moment tech billionaires joined the Trumpist bandwagon, whose ideas contradicted the essence of the MAGA movement. Trump and Musk lose in the split, while figures like Steve Bannon—a reference for the MAGA ranks—have a lot to gain in the White House.

Musk has stepped on many of those bugs he shouldn't have stepped on within the government.like that of Chief of Staff Susie Wiles– and had become a drag on popularity, as demonstrated the electoral defeat in the Wisconsin Supreme Court and Tesla's stock market crash. But Trump nevertheless stood by his "first buddy". He even turned the White House gardens into a dealership to promote his ally's electric vehicles, from whom he bought a Tesla that he is now considering selling. "He's lost his mind," Trump told ABC News on Friday morning after the previous day's reproaches.

"Trump demands loyalty, he wants to be king," Craig Holman, a prominent government ethics lobbyist at the ARA, explained to the ARA. think tank Public Citizen. In none of the previous crises had he crossed that line, until criticism of the tax bill, Trump's signature law, arrived. Musk called his "big beautiful bill" of "abomination" and publicly opened fire on the president, thus crossing the main line. The reason Musk is campaigning so hard against the text – which must pass a Senate vote – is because it is expected to increase public debt, while his role as head of DOGE was aimed in the opposite direction: reducing it by cutting government spending.

"There is a direct connection. Government spending is associated with government regulation of companies. So the government intervenes in the regulation of SpaceX and Tesla and how they produce these cars. All of this is due to government spending and government bureaucracy. So by reducing government spending, what he was really after," Holman.

The technological oligarchy

Six months ago, before Trump's inauguration, Holman He explained to ARA how Musk had become the most powerful player on Washington's new political scene. while Silicon Valley tech billionaires were buying their way into the president's court. The tech right saw Trump as an opportunity to roll out their agenda, and Musk was the spearhead. Now, however, "it's very likely that we're going to see a very strong, fundamental shift in the administration toward Big Tech."

"It could be a schism between the tech oligarchy and Trump, or it could end up pitting Musk against the entire tech industry. The other Big Tech leaders who work closely with Musk are keeping quiet. Now they want to get in the middle of it. Musk, for example, believes Trump's budget proposal is a complete aberration and will severely harm his own industry, as well as the rest of the United States," Holman explains.

"Both Trump and Musk will be hurt, but Musk could very well lose his businesses if he continues this hostility with President Trump," the lobbyist reasons. "Musk probably has more to lose than Trump because the latter is known for getting revenge on people he considers enemies to keep his businesses."

On Thursday, Tesla shares fell 14% and lost approximately $152.4 billion in market value – the largest single-day drop on record – while on Friday they recovered around 4% by market time. Meanwhile, the company behind the president's Truth Social platform fell 8% on Thursday, coinciding with the drop in the Trump Coin cryptocurrency.

Bannon rubs his hands

Since its war room, he podcaster and MAGA godfather Steve Bannon smiles under his nose as he watches the knives fly. Bannon revels in his "I told you so" remarks about Musk, whom he had already criticized at the start of his term. In January He clashed with Musk over H-1B visas., which symbolize the irreconcilable schism between the MAGA ranks and file and Silicon Valley tech oligarchies. Bannon and the MAGA ranks demanded the elimination of these visas, believing that all jobs in the country should go to Americans, but Silicon Valley companies import outside talent thanks to this visa model. Musk staunchly defended him, and Trump had to step in to mediate.

This Thursday, in the midst of open warfare, Bannon took the opportunity to chime in and, plainly and simply, called for Musk's deportation. "They should initiate a formal investigation into his immigration status, because I am convinced that he is an illegal immigrant and should be deported from the country immediately," he toldThe New York Times.