Trump's éminence grise: Where Elon Musk's attacks on Europe and Canada may lead

Contents

• Media war against leaders of Germany, UK, and Canada
• Musk and Trump’s inner circle
• Glass house Musk built

Elon Musk has long been accustomed to shocking the public, from appearing in Marvel films alongside "Iron Man" Tony Stark to rescuing children trapped by flooding in Thailand. With Donald Trump’s victory in the US elections, Musk gained even more room for activity - now in the political arena.

According to several American media outlets, the billionaire is almost inseparable from Trump and has even moved into his Mar-a-Lago residence. Musk participates in various appointments and international negotiations. Musk was reportedly present during a phone conversation between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Trump.

Together with Vivek Ramaswamy, another entrepreneur, Musk will head the newly created Department of Government Efficiency in Trump’s administration. This body's mission is twofold: on the one hand, to strengthen the US as a state, and on the other, to dismantle the American “deep state” with its mechanisms for restraining the president’s whims. During his first term, Trump faced significant challenges when many of his initiatives were bogged down by bureaucracy.

Yet, even against this backdrop, Musk’s activity has reached a new level.

Media war against leaders of Germany, UK, and Canada

On December 28, Elon Musk published a guest article in the German publication Welt am Sonntag, where he openly voiced his support for the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD), which many have described as neo-Nazi. With parliamentary elections scheduled for February 23, Musk's statements were unequivocally perceived by German politicians as interference in the democratic process.

Things escalated further, snowballing into a scandal. Sharp remarks from German and European politicians provoked even sharper responses from Musk. He has already called German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier a "tyrant" and referred to Chancellor Olaf Scholz as an "incompetent fool" who "should resign immediately."

Left to right: Elon Musk, Donald Trump, J.D. Vance (Photo: Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Musk is making waves in the UK as well. His favorites are the populist party Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage. Although the UK elections took place recently, the victors - the Labour Party - are already experiencing a catastrophic collapse in approval ratings. The country is facing recurring crises, which Musk has harshly criticized.

Even here, Musk has taken things to a new level, directly attacking British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The reason? A longstanding scandal surrounding the investigation of immigrant gangs accused of abusing children in the early 2000s, during Starmer's tenure as Attorney General. On January 1, it was revealed that the government had recently refused to conduct a national inquiry into similar cases in Oldham, stating that the local council should decide instead.

This triggered a flurry of tweets from Musk, in which he called Starmer a "complicit in the rape of Britain." Even Farage thought this was too much, prompting Musk to tweet that Reform UK needed a new leader.

Musk’s attacks haven’t been limited to European leaders. He creatively expanded on Donald Trump's trolling regarding the United States annexation of Canada. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted on X that there was no chance that Canada would become part of the US. In response, Musk called Trudeau a "girl."

The question remains: to what extent are Musk's statements his initiative, or are they coordinated with Trump? After all, the US President-elect himself has made equally provocative statements about plans to purchase Greenland and annex Canada. However, this approach might backfire on Musk sooner or later.

Musk and Trump’s inner circle

In world history, there have been many examples of "courtiers" close to the leader who believed they had caught luck by the tail. In France during the time of Louis XIV, it was Nicolas Fouquet, the Minister of Finance. However, after his moment of glory, he was imprisoned and became one of the inspirations for "The Man in the Iron Mask." In modern history, this is South Korean President Park Geun-hye and her friend Choi Soon-sil. Both were convicted of corruption in 2018.

Even Donald Trump had an experience of working with Steve Bannon during his first presidential term. As the head of the far-right Breitbart News, one of the few outlets supporting Trump, Bannon quickly became part of the president’s inner circle. Like Musk, he attempted to collaborate with European populists but lost out in backstage battles quickly.

The decisive factor in the downfall of all these figures was conflicts with other groups within the leader's entourage and a failure to consider the leader’s psychological characteristics. Signs that a similar situation is unfolding with Musk are already evident. NBC News notes that Musk's excessive activity began to tire Trump’s old allies as early as November.

Even the elected US president himself is reportedly displeased with Musk’s constant presence, according to sources in Trump’s circle cited by The Daily Beast. Representatives of competing factions, seeking to play on Trump’s emotions, reportedly use the phrase “President Musk,” even though the billionaire cannot legally become president. By law, only someone born in the US can hold the office, whereas Musk is from South Africa.

From left to right: Elon Musk, Donald Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Mike Johnson, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. aboard Trump’s plane (photo: Instagram, Donald Trump Jr.)

For now, Musk’s strengths make him valuable to Trump. On one hand, there’s his determination, underpinned by a psychological disorder - Asperger's syndrome, as Musk himself has acknowledged. This determination gives Trump confidence that Musk will overcome the "deep state."

On the other hand, Musk’s massive media influence cannot be underestimated - 211 million followers on his X account, a significant global fan base, and the weight of X itself as one of the largest social networks in the world. However, this does not mean that others cannot influence Musk.

Glass house Musk built

"Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones." Elon Musk may not know this proverb, but ignorance will not shield him from the potential consequences of his actions.

Musk has many vulnerabilities that other countries can exploit if he continues interfering in their domestic affairs. Musk's companies - Tesla, X, SpaceX, and Starlink - do not operate in a vacuum. They interact with governments worldwide, from regulatory frameworks to government contracts. These states could retaliate against Musk with stricter regulations, sanctions, or even more drastic measures.

The vulnerability of private companies compared to states became evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. Perhaps the most illustrative example in this regard is Pablo Escobar, the head of the Medellín cartel in 1990s Colombia, as vividly depicted in the popular series Narcos. While there is an undeniable difference between cartels and private corporations, they share a common trait: being alternatives to the state. Escobar became the wealthiest man in the country, but when he entered public politics, the state waged an all-out war against him. Despite difficulties, the state ultimately prevailed.

French Foreign Minister Jean-No?l Barrot has already called on the European Commission to take a tough stance against Elon Musk following his statements. This is likely just the beginning.

Ukraine should also take this into account, as it was one of the first to experience Musk's erratic behavior. Initially, he provided Starlink systems to the Armed Forces of Ukraine but later blocked them during combat operations. Now, global politics has gained yet another personal factor, adding to the chaos on the world stage.

Sources: statements by Elon Musk, Justin Trudeau, German politicians, and information from The Daily Beast and Welt am Sonntag.