Leading MAGA figures are already trying to woo Elon Musk to aid their efforts to replace Donald Trump at the head of the movement in four years.
|
Listen To This Story
 |
One of the most interesting storylines of the next four years will be who will try to succeed Donald Trump… and when the various contenders start turning on each other.
Apart from getting the president-elect’s backing, perhaps the most important endorsement will be that of Elon Musk.
The billionaire, who not only purchased Twitter to better amplify his right-wing views but also played a key role in getting Trump elected, seems to have gotten a taste of the kind of adulation and power his money can buy.
One stunning example of how he has wormed himself into the highest echelon of power came on Wednesday, when Musk joined the president-elect on a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. It defies belief that a private person would participate in such a call.
In Musk’s case, this is especially troubling because, according to the Wall Street Journal, he has been in regular contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Since the Constitution bars the South African-born entrepreneur from running for president, he’ll have to find himself a second puppet in four years.
And it looks as though some young MAGA guns are already jockeying for position.
Earlier this week, Vivek Ramaswamy, who ran for president to gain favor with Trump and get himself on the GOP’s shortlist for future elections, heaped superlatives on Musk during an appearance on the podcast of another potential kingmaker, Tucker Carlson.
Calling him the “most successful self-made man in human history,” he said the two of them “really hit it off.”
Ramaswamy also said the billionaire was “essential to [Trump’s] victory,” all of which must have been music to the ears of Musk, who shares some of the president-elect’s narcissistic traits.
For his part, vice president-elect JD Vance has also been carrying the X owner’s water.
Weeks before the election, the Ohio senator threatened NATO with repercussions if the European Union were to sanction Musk for violating EU laws meant to prevent misinformation.
Of course, misinformation and propaganda are not only the billionaire’s personal brand; they are also key tools for the entire MAGA movement. Having restrictions placed on his company would hamper Musk’s efforts to spread his ideology in Europe.
Getting high-level protection from the White House in his dispute with the EU is not the only way in which the billionaire stands to gain from getting Trump into office. He could also earn valuable space and defense contracts and profit from tariffs on electric cars, among other benefits.
For now, it seems likely that all future contenders for leadership in a post-Trump MAGA movement will toe the line, but that will not go on forever.
Until that battle for succession starts playing out in public, it will be interesting to see which alliances will be formed, and who will secure the backing of Musk and the president himself.
