Musk versus Trump: who has the upper hand?
Following Elon Musk's exit as head of the Department of Government Efficiency, the dispute between the tech entrepreneur and US President Donald Trump has escalated. Musk threatened with incriminating revelations and Trump countered by threatening to deprive the former's companies of billions in government contracts and subsidies. Then on Wednesday Musk posted a message on X expressing regret about some of his statements about the US president.
Denouement or disaster in the the third act
Reality has caught up with the US president, the Tages-Anzeiger surmises:
“We can see it live on our screens: Donald Trump is in the process of failing. If politics were a play on stage, after a brilliant start his presidency would now be in the second act - where it's starting to become clear that the main character can't get his own way so effortlessly. The conflicts are intensifying, those he trusted are turning away and pursuing their own goals. The protagonist seems increasingly lost. ... The fate of the main character is decided in the third act. Depending on what lessons they have learned and how things play out, there will be a big denouement at the end - or a catastrophe.”
It's clear who will be the loser here
Even the richest man in the world can't afford a vendetta with the US president, Habertürk believes:
“There are many indications that the billionaire side will be the loser in the battle between Trump and Musk. Musk may have 220 million followers on X and 400 billion dollars, but with every minute that passes his fortune is melting away. He lost 34 billion dollars as the largest Tesla shareholder on the night the dispute broke out. The company's shares recovered slightly, but the 14 percent drop on the first day shows that investors fear that the row with the president will have consequences. Trump, who has cancelled subsidies for electric cars in the new bill, also put his red Tesla up for sale.”
New right at a crossroads
Observador sees a duel between ideologies:
“The clash between Elon Musk and Donald Trump is not just an episode in a rift between two individuals. ... It can also be read as an internal struggle for the future of this new right. Will it be led by a crude, nationalist populism that feeds on resentment and isolation? Or by a hyper-individualistic tech elite that dreams of private cities, digital currencies and flights to Mars?”
Tesla boss could shake up the political landscape
G4Media.ro examines the consequences of a Musk-sponsored political alternative to Trump's party:
“Multi-billionaire [Elon Musk], the richest man on the planet, has almost unlimited resources at his disposal to set up a new party or sabotage the Republicans, for example by financing insurgent candidates who could run against the [Trump-backed] Republicans in next year's primaries and midterm elections. However, a third major party would also pose a threat to the Democratic Party, to which Musk has made significant donations in the past. This is probably one reason why the Democrats have not officially commented on the dispute between Trump and Musk.”