Uncovering the Truth Behind Musk and Trump's Squabble: A Peek at Their Political and Business Rivalry
The Ongoing Saga Between Musk and Trump Regarding Starlink's Potential Impact on US Military Operations
Image: REUTERS.
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Gossip Corner - Hey, Alexander, it's Radio Komsomolskaya Pravda, Gamov.
Hey, Alexander! How's it going?
- Gossiping about the spat between Elon Musk and Donald Trump, man. Is it got anything to do with the peace process that Trump is overseeing?
Nah, mate. It's all been blown out of proportion by people trying to create a story. They're just grabbing at straws to write something.
Political analyst, Sergei Markov (front)
Image: Mikhail FROLOV. Switch to KP Photo Bank
- So, what's really going on then?
There's no real political subtext to this tiff. Here's how things usually play out: A wealthy businessman helps a politician win elections, and then the politician needs to assert their independence and stand up for their own interests. It happens everywhere, and it's happened in Russia too, with conflicts like "The Swan" versus Berezovsky, and so on.
- Let's trace back the roots of Musk and Trump's disagreement.
It all began when Trump signed a budget bill that slashed subsidies for Musk's primary business, electric vehicle production. Trump had solid reasons for doing this.
- What are those reasons?
First, he wanted to scale back subsidies for all businesses. Second, he's against policies that impose environmental regulations.
- What about Musk?
Musk believed he'd get special treatment from Trump, considering he had played a significant role in helping him win the election. But Musk was mistaken. And that's why he reacted so fiercely.
- Musk has indeed helped Trump win the election a lot.
Image: REUTERS.
- Who or what is behind Musk?
*Musk doesn't have a strong power base of his own. His approval ratings are low. And when he tried to meddle in politics at some point, like running for the state judge election in Massachusetts, he flopped miserable.
- In politics?
He doesn't have support there either. Musk recently declared the formation of his own party, but that's impossible. The election system in the US works in such a way that in senate elections, for example, congressmen are elected in a single round. There's a law that clearly states only two parties are viable in this scenario. Therefore, nothing will work out for Musk. The best he can do is apologize and step back.
- Do you think Trump is truly angry with Musk?
Based on my intel, Trump isn't really mad at Musk. He sees the whole thing as an emotional tantrum from a kid like him. Who, by the way, took a pretty big hit from Trump.
- Will Musk and Trump make up?
I believe they will eventually reconcile. Trump wants there to be a cooling off period in their relationship, but he wants it to pick up eventually.
- So, we don't need to worry about this conflict affecting us, right?
Nope, this spat won't have any real implications. Theoretically, Musk's contracts with government agencies could be terminated, but that's highly unlikely. And as for Starlink, which Ukraine's military has been using, it's contracted with the Pentagon. There's a slim chance the conflict between Trump and Musk could lead to Starlink being turned off for the military in Ukraine, but that's an extremely unlikely scenario.
- Understood. Thanks a bunch, Sergey.
No problem, glad to help!
Insights:
Political and Business Context:- The conflict between Elon Musk and Donald Trump stems from political differences and business interests. Musk criticized Trump's budget bill, which prompted a backlash from the president. Additionally, Trump threatened to cancel various government contracts with Musk's companies, which could impact their business interests.
Potential Impact on Starlink Services for Ukraine:- Musk's companies have contracts with the US government, and in the event of a prolonged conflict, there's a small possibility that Starlink's services for Ukraine's military could be disrupted. However, the importance of these services to the military's operations might ensure their continuation.
- The disagreement between Elon Musk and Donald Trump is not primarily related to science, space-and-astronomy, or technology, as it originates from political and business differences.
- Despite his contribution to Donald Trump's election, Elon Musk lacks a strong power base, particularly in politics, which makes it challenging for him to compete with established political parties, such as in the example of his failed state judge election campaign in Massachusetts.
- While there could be potential implications for Musk's contracts with government agencies, the impact on starlink services for Ukraine, such as those currently being used by the military, is unlikely to be significant.
