• Trump dismissed Elon Musk’s peace offering, calling him “insane” and showing little interest in reconciliation.
• Their public feud, sparked by Musk’s criticism of Trump’s policies, escalated on social media.
• While Musk initially threatened to decommission SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft and later appeared open to reconciliation, Trump remained unconcerned and focused on his legislative agenda.
There’s a neat little concept called the keys to power. A totalitarian dictator doesn’t hold all the power power - they must share it with generals, officials, oligarchs, aristocracy - many people who extend their control. A president has even less, they need to spread it wider
If you lose the keys to power, your own power dwindles. Trump had the oligarchs, and the apparent head oligarch (Musk) has been ousted. What does that say to the other oligarchs? Most of them were threatened into compliance… If Musk breaks with Trump without consequences, his authority dwindles. If Musk gets deported or something, Trump’s value as an ally is depleted
A CGP Grey scholar, I see.
oh yea, and musk has control of the starlinks, he can easily shut them all off to punish red states that depend on it. also he can help primary republicans magats, and INSTALL other gop down the line.
As much as I’m loathed to admit it, Trump probably has a legitimate case to seize assets in the name of national security if Musk starts trashing stuff.
Why loathe to admit it? I’m cheerfully reminding everyone that will listen that it’s always been an option. The government can revoke a corporate charter whenever they want, for whatever reason they want… If Trump wants to set a precedent that emergency powers can do that, I’d love that for us
Win or lose, maga would no longer be politically viable, and it would make corporations fear the government more, as they should