Elon Musk has emerged as some of the influential and controversial powerbrokers within the new Trump administration. He spent at least US$277 million (about A$360 million) of his personal cash to assist Donald Trump win re-election, campaigning alongside him across the nation.
This important funding of money and time raises the query of what the world’s wealthiest particular person hopes to obtain in return. Critics have puzzled whether or not Musk’s help for Trump is only a easy business transaction, with Musk anticipating to obtain political favours.
Or does it mirror Musk’s personal genuinely held political opinions, and maybe private political ambition?
From left to alt-right
Decoding Musk’s political opinions and monitoring how they’ve modified over time is a posh train. He’s onerous to pin down, largely by design.
Musk’s present X feed, for instance, is a bewildering mixture of far-right conspiracy theories about immigration, clips of neoliberal economist Milton Friedman warning in regards to the risks of inflation, and commercials for Tesla.
Traditionally, Musk professes to have been a left libertarian. He says he voted for Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012, Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020.
Musk claims that over time, the Democratic celebration has moved additional to the left, leaving him feeling nearer politically to the Republican celebration.
Key to Musk’s political shift, no less than by his personal account, is his estrangement from his transgender daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson.
After Vivian’s transition, Musk claimed she was “lifeless, killed by the woke thoughts virus”. She may be very a lot alive.
He’s since repeatedly signalled his opposition to transgender rights and gender-affirming care, and diversity, equity and inclusion insurance policies extra broadly.
Nevertheless, if the mere existence of a trans particular person in his household was sufficient to trigger a political meltdown, Musk was clearly already on a trajectory in the direction of far-right politics.
Slightly than responding to a shift within the Democratic Social gathering, it makes extra sense to know Musk’s altering politics as a part of a much wider current phenomenon known as as “the libertarian to alt-right pipeline”.
The political science, defined
Libertarianism has traditionally tended to be divided between left-wing and right-wing varieties.
Left libertarians help financial insurance policies of restricted authorities, similar to reducing taxes and social spending, and deregulation extra broadly. That is mixed with progressive social insurance policies, similar to marriage equality and drug decriminalisation.
Against this, proper libertarians help the identical set of financial insurance policies, however maintain conservative social views, similar to opposing abortion rights and celebrating patriotism.
Traditionally, the Libertarian Social gathering in america adopted a clumsy center floor between the 2 poles.
The previous decade, although, has seen the Libertarian Social gathering, and libertarianism extra usually, transfer strongly to the right. Specifically, many libertarians have performed main roles within the alt-right motion.
The alt-right or “various proper” refers back to the current resurgence of far-right political actions opposing multiculturalism, gender equality and variety, and supporting white nationalism.
The alt-right is a really on-line motion, with its main activists famend for web trolling and “edgelording” – that’s, the posting of controversial and confronting content material to intentionally stoke controversy and entice consideration.
Although some libertarians have resisted the pull of the alt-right, many have been swept alongside the pipeline, together with prominent leaders within the motion.
Making sense of Musk
Whereas this dialogue of concept could appear summary, it helps to know what Musk’s values are (beneath the chaotic tweets and Nazi salutes).
In financial phrases, Musk stays a limited-government libertarian. He advocates reducing authorities spending, decreasing taxes and repealing regulation – particularly rules that put limits on his companies.
His formal position within the Trump administration as head of the “Department of Government Efficiency”, often known as DOGE, is focused at these objectives.
Musk has suggested that in reducing authorities spending, he’ll notably goal range, fairness and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. That is the alt-right affect on show.
Alt-right sensibilities are most evident, nevertheless, in Musk’s on-line persona.
On X, Musk has intentionally stoked controversy by boosting and interesting with white nationalists and racist conspiracy theories.
For instance, he has favourably engaged with far-right politicians advocating for the antisemitic “Great Replacement theory”. This concept claims Jews are encouraging mass migration to the worldwide north as a part of a deliberate plot to get rid of the white race.
Extra just lately, Musk has endorsed the far-right in Germany. He’s additionally shared videos from recognized white supremacists outlining the racist “Muslim grooming gangs” conspiracy concept in the UK.
Whether or not Musk really believes these outlandish racist conspiracy theories is, in some ways, irrelevant.
Slightly, Musk’s public statements are higher understood as reflecting thinker Harry Frankfurt’s well-known definition of “bullshit”. For Frankfurt, “bullshit” refers to statements made to impress or provoke through which the speaker is solely not involved with whether or not the assertion is definitely true.
A lot of Musk’s on-line persona is a part of a deliberate alt-right populist technique to stoke controversy, upset “the left”, after which declare to be a persecuted sufferer when criticised.
Principle vs follow
Although Musk’s public statements would possibly match properly into up to date libertarianism, there are at all times contradictions when placing ideology into follow.
For instance, regardless of Musk’s oft-stated choice for restricted authorities, it’s well documented that his firms have acquired intensive subsidies and help from varied governments.
Musk will anticipate this particular remedy to proceed beneath a quintessentially transactional president similar to Trump.
Matt Rourke/AP
The vexed challenge of immigration additionally presents some contradictions.
Throughout the marketing campaign, each Musk and Trump repeatedly criticised immigration to the US. Reprising the themes of the far-right Nice Substitute concept, Musk claimed unlawful immigration was a deliberate plot by Democrats to “change” the present voters with “compliant illegals”.
Nevertheless, after the election Musk has argued Trump ought to protect classes of expert migration such because the H1-B visas. This angered extra express white supremacists, similar to Trump advisor Laura Loomer.
Musk’s motives in arguing for the visas aren’t humanitarian. H1-B visas permit short-term employees to enter the nation for as much as six years, making them totally depending on the sponsoring firm. It’s a state of affairs some have known as “indentured servitude”.
These visas have been used closely within the know-how sector, together with in firms owned by each Musk and Trump.
An unsteady alliance
So what would possibly we anticipate from Musk now that he has each political workplace and affect?
Musk’s acknowledged intention of utilizing DOGE to chop $2 trillion from the US funds would symbolize an unprecedented transformation of presidency. It additionally appears extremely unlikely.
As a substitute, anticipate Musk to concentrate on creating controversy by reducing DEI initiatives and different politically delicate packages, similar to help for girls’s reproductive rights.
Musk will clearly use his political affect to take care of the pursuits of his firms. Shares in Tesla surged to file highs following Trump’s re-election, suggesting buyers imagine Musk can be a serious monetary beneficiary of the second Trump administration.
Will Oliver/EPA
Lastly, Musk will undoubtedly use his new place to stay within the public eye. This final half would possibly lead Musk into battle with one other skilled in shaping the media cycle – Trump himself.
Musk has already reportedly fallen out with Vivek Ramaswamy, who will now not co-lead DOGE with Musk.
Precisely how steady the alliance between Trump and Musk is, and whether or not the egos and pursuits of the 2 billionaires can proceed to coexist, stays to be seen.
If the alliance persists, will probably be a key think about shaping what many are terming the emergence of a “new gilded age” of political corruption and hovering inequality.
