Trump's gray cardinal. Where will Elon Musk's attacks on Europe and Canada lead him?
Close associate of Donald Trump, billionaire Elon Musk, has launched a full-scale media war against several global politicians. What motivates Musk's audacious actions and what consequences they may have for him – read in the column by RBC-Ukraine journalist Roman Kot.
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Elon Musk has long been accustomed to shocking the public, from appearing in Marvel Cinematic Universe films alongside Iron Man Tony Stark to rescuing children trapped in Thailand due to flooding. With Donald Trump's victory in the US elections, Musk gained even more space for activity – now in the political arena.
According to several American media outlets, the billionaire is literally inseparable from Trump and has even moved into his Mar-a-Lago residence, involved in several appointments and international negotiations. In particular, Musk was present during the phone call between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Trump.
Together with Vivek Ramaswamy, another entrepreneur, Musk will head the newly created Department of Government Effectiveness in the Trump administration. The mission of this body is, on one hand, to enhance the capability of the US as a state, and on the other, to dismantle the American "deep state" with its mechanisms that restrain the whims of the president. Trump faced a situation during his first term where many of his initiatives were simply bogged down by bureaucracy.
However, even against this backdrop, Musk's activity has escalated to a new level in recent weeks.
Media war against the leaders of Germany, the UK, and Canada
On December 28, Elon Musk published a guest article in the respected German publication Welt am Sonntag, where he openly expressed support for the far-right, and by many assessments, even neo-Nazi party "Alternative for Germany." In the country, parliamentary elections are scheduled for February 23, so Musk's statements in German politics were unequivocally perceived as interference in the democratic process.
And it gets even more intense. The scandal is developing like a snowball. Sharp statements from German and European politicians provoke even sharper responses from Musk himself. He has already labeled German President Steinmeier a "tyrant" and Chancellor Scholz a "incompetent fool" who should "resign immediately."
Simultaneously, Musk is advancing in the UK. There, his favorites are the populist party Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage. Although elections in the UK were held only recently, the winners – the Labour Party – have already faced a catastrophic drop in ratings. The country is frequently experiencing crises, which Musk comments on harshly.
But even here, the billionaire has taken it to a new level, directly attacking UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The reason – a long-standing scandal surrounding the investigation of immigrant gangs that targeted children in the early 2000s. The cases were reviewed during the time when Starmer was the Attorney General. On January 1, it became known that the government has already refused to conduct a national investigation into such cases in Oldham, stating that the local council should make this decision.
Following this, Musk unleashed a series of tweets, calling Starmer "an accomplice in the rape of Britain." When even Farage found this too much, Musk stated that the Reform UK party needs a different leader.
Musk has also targeted not only European leaders. He creatively escalated the trolling of Trump regarding Canada's joining the USA. The country's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted that there is no chance Canada will become part of the USA. In response, Musk called Trudeau "a little girl."
The question remains open: to what extent are Musk's statements his own initiative, or are they coordinated with Trump? After all, the elected US president himself makes equally resonant statements about plans to acquire Greenland and annex Canada. However, all of this could eventually play a cruel trick on Musk.
Musk and Trump's inner circle
History provides ample examples of those close to the top leader who believed they had caught fortune by the tail. In France during the reign of Louis XIV, it was the superintendent of finances Nicolas Fouquet. However, after a moment of glory, he was imprisoned and became one of the prototypes of "The Man in the Iron Mask." In modern history, it is South Korean President Park Geun-hye and her friend Choi Soon-sil. Both were convicted of corruption in 2018.
One might also recall Ukrainian politics (with some caveats, of course) – Andriy Bohdan and Ihor Kolomoyskyi during Zelensky's time or Dmytro Tabachnyk during Kuchma's presidency. Some of them simply fell off the radar, while others ended quite poorly.
In the end, Trump himself had experience working with Stephen Bannon during his first presidential term. As the head of the far-right publication Breitbart News, which was one of the few to support Trump, Bannon quickly entered the circle of the US president's close associates. Like Musk, he attempted to collaborate with European populists but quickly lost in the behind-the-scenes struggle.
The downfall of all these figures was primarily due to conflicts with other groups within the president's circle and a disregard for the peculiarities of the leader's psychology. Signs that the situation is repeating itself with Musk are already evident. As NBC News notes, Musk's excessive activity began to tire Trump's old allies as early as November.
Moreover, the elected US president himself is reportedly displeased that Musk is constantly around, according to sources from The Daily Beast in the politician's circle. Representatives of competing factions apparently use the phrase "President Musk" to play on Trump's emotions, even though the billionaire is not eligible for the presidency. By law, only a person born in the USA can become the head of state, whereas Musk hails from South Africa.
However, for now, Musk's strengths make him valuable to Trump. On one hand, this is a knack for business, bolstered by a mental disorder, Asperger's syndrome (as Musk himself admits). This knack gives Trump confidence that Musk will indeed overcome the "deep state."
On the other hand, Musk's colossal media influence – 211 million followers on his personal social media account, a large number of supporters worldwide, and the weight of "X" as one of the largest social networks in the world should not be underestimated. However, this does not mean that others cannot influence Musk.
The glass house that Musk built
"Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones." Musk may not be aware of this saying. Nevertheless, this ignorance will not exempt him from the potential consequences of his actions.
Musk has many vulnerabilities that other countries can exploit if he continues to meddle in their internal politics. Musk's companies – Tesla, X, SpaceX, or Starlink – do not operate in a vacuum. They interact with states worldwide, from legislative regulation to government contracts. And governments can respond to Musk – by tightening regulations, imposing sanctions, or even taking more radical measures.
The vulnerabilities of private companies compared to states were highlighted during the coronavirus pandemic. However, perhaps the most telling example in this regard is that of Pablo Escobar, the head of the Medellín drug cartel in 1990s Colombia, well depicted in the popular series "Narcos." Although there is an undeniable difference between cartels and private corporations, they share one common trait – an alternative to the state. Escobar became the richest person in the country but when he decided to enter public politics, the state waged a real war against him. And although it was difficult, it ultimately prevailed.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot has already urged the European Commission to take tough action against Elon Musk in light of his statements. And this is likely just the beginning.
All of this should be taken into account by Ukraine, which was one of the first to encounter Musk's antics when he initially provided Starlinks for the Armed Forces of Ukraine and then began blocking them during combat operations. But now there is yet another personal factor in global politics, which only adds to the global chaos.
This column references statements from Elon Musk, Justin Trudeau, German politicians, and information from The Daily Beast and Welt am Sonntag.