Elon Musk is moving back into politics. Can’t he take up a new hobby instead? Arwa Mahdawi

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“You know, I’ve mostly recovered that erstwhile I get progressive successful politics, it ends up badly,” Elon Musk mused connected Nikhil Kamath’s podcast in November.

Oh, we know, Elon, we astir decidedly know. The world is still reeling from nan tech billionaire’s small research successful politicking past year. Musk’s “department of authorities efficiency” (Doge) slashed national jobs, dismantled overseas assistance programmes and near a trail of chaos successful its wake. It’s not clear whether immoderate payer money was saved, but experts are informing a batch of lives will beryllium lost. By 1 calculation, location could beryllium about 14 cardinal excess deaths crossed nan globe by 2030 if nan US fails to reconstruct assistance funding. Thanks, Elon!

Musk’s stint successful authorities didn’t conscionable extremity severely for group reliant connected US aid; his ain marque took a beating. Last August, a Gallup poll recovered he was nan astir unpopular personification successful a database of world figures. He besides had a highly publicised fallout pinch Donald Trump past summer. As you whitethorn remember, Musk declared that he was going to commencement his ain governmental statement and Trump called his erstwhile “first buddy” a “TRAIN WRECK”. Musk besides spent a batch of clip trolling nan president astir nan Epstein files. “Time to driblet nan really large bomb,” Musk posted connected X successful June, “@realdonaldtrump is successful nan Epstein files. That is why they person not been made public.”

But that’s each ancient history. It would look a batch of forgiving, forgetting and deleting of inopportune societal media posts has been done; now it’s clip to brace ourselves for nan Trump-Musk Bromance Part Two: Electric Boogaloo. Over nan play Musk, who seems to person abruptly mislaid liking successful nan Epstein files, posted a blurry photo connected X of him eating pinch Donald and Melania astatine Mar-a-Lago. They’d each had a “lovely dinner”, he gushed successful nan post, adding: “2026 is going to beryllium amazing!” That dinner, by nan way, took spot soon aft nan US captured nan Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and his wife. Was Musk successful specified precocious spirits because Trump was promising to invade Greenland next, and move it into a Tesla factory? Or did nan president show Musk, who is obsessed pinch nan UK, that he’d “liberate nan group of Britain” for him, arsenic a small treat? I conjecture we’ll find out.

Musk isn’t conscionable breaking breadstuff pinch Trump; he’s besides giving nan Republican statement a batch of mixed again. Axios reported successful December that Musk had softly been cutting large cheques for nan midterms. On New Year’s Day, Musk made his renewed support nationalist by responding to a station by a blimpish influencer claiming Musk was “going all-in backing Republicans”. Musk appeared to corroborate this pinch nan statement: “America is toast if nan extremist near wins.” Looks for illustration nan billionaire has now abandoned his 3rd statement plans and is backmost connected nan Trump train.

So who do we person to convey for 2 of nan astir atrocious men successful nan world joining forces again? Well, nan shade of Charlie Kirk for one. Before he was murdered, Kirk talked astir really he was hopeless to get Trump and Musk to reconcile. And his decease seems to person achieved that: Kirk’s memorial successful September brought nan 2 men together for their first nationalist appearance since nan feud. Both Musk and nan White House X relationship posted photos of nan brace sitting and chatting pinch nan caption: “For Charlie.”

JD Vance besides played a domiciled successful getting nan brace to buss and make up. According to a December report by nan Washington Post, Vance has been very engaged brokering a truce and getting Musk to rethink his 3rd statement plans. The vice-president evidently has his ain reasons for wanting to support things cordial pinch nan richest man successful nan world. Trump keeps insisting that his “health is perfect” and joking astir a 3rd term, but he’s not going to beryllium astir for ever. Musk’s unlimited costs played a ample portion successful getting Trump backmost successful nan White House and you ideate Vance is keen to support nan money spigot on.

Unfortunately, I don’t person billions of dollars I tin usage to get politicians to do my bidding. But I do person a wealthiness of unsolicited proposal for Musk. Please sir, I’m begging you, tin you return up a bully hobby? Or walk immoderate value clip pinch your service of children, perhaps? Or get successful 1 of your rockets and spell for a very agelong thrust successful outer space? Just do thing that isn’t meddling successful nan government! Because I person a emotion this caller governmental enactment is going to extremity very severely for everyone.

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Source theguardian.com
theguardian.com