Trump created a rival himself. Republican voters loved Elon Muska
Donald Trump says he is surprised and disappointed with Elon Musk in connection with their chaotic, public fuss. However, he should be careful.
The president does not even have to worry about the fact that Musk is the owner of one of the most influential social media platforms, or his status of the richest man in the world, financing not so long ago republican campaigns. The problem is Musk's great popularity among the conservative electorateas the polls show.
Musk does not intend to overtake Trump himself as a dominant character in a party. However, there were a “special government worker” as hardly anyone is suitable for a chaos agent who may threaten the Republican Party – potentially sowing havoc in the Trump's legislative program and election plans for half -election.
Musk's term of office at the head of the Government Efficiency Department captured the imagination of Republicans, even if it ended in infamously. While the democrats and independent quickly discouraged Musk's leadership, Republicans are still delighted with him.
In the latest Economist/YouGov survey, 76 percent Republicans perceived Musk favorably, compared to only 18 percent, who perceived him unfavorably. The New York Times/Siena College survey at the end of April placed favor among republicans at 77 percent.
Despite the fury associated with his budget cuts, a negative approach to the secret actions of Doge and criticism for failure to meet initial promises regarding savings of $ 1 or $ 2 trillion. [odpowiednio ok. 3,75 i 7,5 bln zł]Musk's popularity among the Republican electorate has shot.
This may change after breaking Musk with Trump, but the chances of this are not big. Musk's position among the party voters remains extremely high since the beginning of Trump's administration – over 70 percent. In most polls. This makes him much more popular than the marshal of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson, the leader of the majority in the Senate John Thune and almost all other party members.
The only Republicans more popular than Musk? Trump and his vice president, JD Vance. According to the Economist/Yougov survey, the Trump support rate in the party is 87 percent, and Vance – 80 percent.
In part, this is because the Republican base from the very beginning deeply believed in the Muska mission. Almost 90 percent The batch of supporters supports the reduction of the government. A similar percentage believes that Doge was effective in reducing government expenditure, according to the recent Harvard-Harris survey.
Democrats and independent voters are much more skeptical about the achievements of dog and Musk itself. The Economist/Yougov survey reports that only 15 percent Democrats and 34 percent Independent perceives him favorably.
Extremely dangerous rival
Republicans of the Trump era is a party whose employees feel that they can freely attack their superiors, where selected officials regularly They attack each other for deviations from the orthodoxy of the magician And where the unofficial mantra is the Trump “fight, fight, fight”.
However, for a few days after the initial Musk attacks on the “great, beautiful act” no one – even Trump, who is known for mixing with mud even the mildest critics – did not throw the glove to Musk. This silence confirmed the existence of a new predator in the political and media ecosystem, Godzilla next to King Congo Trump.
Donald Trump and Elon Musk at the election rally at the Bulter Farm Show in Pennsylvania, October 5, 2024.
The rank that Teka Doge was given to Musk, his compliance with traditional republican values regarding government expenditure and reduction of budget deficit, his unlimited wealth and megaphone in social media make it He is an extremely dangerous rival. Not only for Trump, but for the whole party. He is partly William Hearst and partly Howard Hughes, not so much a threat to win the party's sympathy from Trump, but a potential bomb that can blow up party plans.
Musk can boast own support, which exists outside the traditional party bordersespecially marked by the umbrella relationship that young men have with him. This makes him a threat to the fragile coalition, which was relying on the Republicans in 2024. The president still maintains loyalty and deep sympathy for his party. However, Musk knows the poor points of the magician. He witnessed the circus in the office.
The old axiom is used here to never get into a fight with those who “buy ink in barrels”: a bad idea is to argue with a tycoon, which can not only deprive you of popularity, but also destroy you before 220 million followers.
Musk's range is limited – its brutal, polarizing rule in the dog They made him a pariah on the left and a political burden in the context of elections. However, his ability to dominate the economy of attention means that, like no one else, he is suitable for overthrowing the Trump program on the capitol and republican efforts to maintain the advantage in Congress in 2026.
Musk imitates Trump's rhetoric
Like Trump, Musk quickly learned politics. When he began his crusade, aimed at sinking a widely large tax cuts package, he recognized a precise language that should be used to break through the noise and provoke the reaction from the Republican base. He called the project “terrible abomination” and “a large, outrageous, filled pork with the Congress Act on expenses”.
Musk also knew exactly how to provoke the president. He scratched the pile of impeachment, suggested that Trump could not return to the White House without his help And he predicted that duties would cause a recession. Musk imposed a blow below the belt, suggesting that the president's name appears in the files of the investigation in the late, convicted, sentenced Jeffrey Epstein.
Protesters with banners with images of Jeffrey Epstein and President Donald Trump in front of the Federal Court building in New York, July 8, 2019.
Of course, it is already public that, among others Trump was mentioned in court documents related to the case, but he was not accused of anything. However, Musk fueled a passion for the Republican base for conspiracy theories, claiming that the provisions “were not made public”.
It is a service straight from the Trumpian textbook, refined to perfection when the Magician supporters are becoming more and more concerned about the Department of Justice due to the lack of evidence of the involvement of the “deep state” in one of the main conspiracy theories that revive the extreme right.
Musk also managed to throw a grenade on the Capitol, where He has already undermined the position of the Republican authorities of the Congressattacking them by name. He added hard -headed wings, who were probably to be silenced. And even if there were a truce with Trump, his potential for erasing does not decrease. Finally, the law, if it passes through the Senate, must still be accepted by the Chamber of Representatives.
It looks like so far Republican cavalry was reluctant to take Trump on the side of Trump. Partly because Musk arouses fear in officials who can easily imagine that he finances their competitors and harassment in social media. Not only individual selected representatives have reasons for concern. On Thursday, Musk in an online survey on X presented the idea of creating a new party “which actually represents 80 percent in the middle of the” political scene.
In less than 24 hours, over 5 million votes were cast.
