Elon Musk spent millions bolstering Trump, but the president ‘goes through people like tissues,’ says Kara Swisher
Two male bettas cannot share an aquarium, for fear that they will be too aggressive and territorial to the point of destroying one of them. The White House may be preparing for a similar confrontation, says Silicon Valley journalist and writer Kara Swisher. In her estimation, Tesla CEO Elon Musk and newly re-elected President Donald Trump may be headed for a fallout based on their personalities.
“They’re both narcissists, and there can only be one narcissist as president of the country, and that’s Donald Trump, who just won the election,” said Swisher, who claimed to “know Elon very well.” He said To CNN.
“Elon Musk and President Trump are great friends and brilliant leaders working together to make America great again,” said Trump-Vance spokeswoman Carolyn Levitt. luck In a statement. “Elon Musk is a once-in-a-generation business leader, and our federal bureaucracy would certainly benefit from his ideas and competence.” Musk did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Partnership at a price
The duo became very friends throughout Trump’s campaign. Musk created a $1 million sweepstakes for those who signed a US political action committee petition, though he was later sued by misled voters who discovered that winners were not chosen at random. He spent his super PAC supporting Trump 200 million dollars “In support of the candidate,” a source told the Associated Press. Musk alone is said to have spent more than $130 million supporting Trump.
Billionaire Mark Cuban said in a statement to Elon: “Elon is running the ground game in favor of Republicans.” luck. Naturally, Musk has shown interest in befriending Trump as well. Tesla shares rose After the election, though since then Cool down.
Swisher said Musk’s status as the world’s richest man is likely a plus in Trump’s eyes. . “Of course, Trump is attracted to the wealth and glamor that surrounds Elon Musk,” Swisher said, adding: “I think it’s glamor. I don’t quite know what it is, nerd charm.”
“A star is born, and it’s Elon,” Trump said of Musk on election night. Unfortunately for Musk, some stars burn out quickly.
Trump and Musk may not be best friends forever
Just one week after Trump’s election, it appears as if Musk’s approach is already rubbing some employees the wrong way.
“He’s definitely inserting himself all the time. That’s his style, that’s why he’s suddenly there like a guest who won’t leave,” Swisher said of Musk. She told CNN she heard from Trump staffers about Musk actually being there, saying, “Oh, this Strange.” Swisher assured them they would likely see more where that came from.
Swisher noted that she was “told that the last person in the room who Trump supports is often controlling” and that he “treats people like tissues, basically.”
Noting that both Trump and Musk are “really strong personalities who like to be the center of attention,” Swisher painted a photo-hour portrait of their partnership. She added that it’s all about influence for Musk, explaining that he will likely “exert as much influence as possible in the first critical days.”
But she said Musk’s presence was unlikely to go down well with fellow attention-seeking Trump. She noted that although Trump “owes things to Elon,” the relationship could deteriorate if he “takes too much attention,” noting how Stephen Bannon was disqualified after he appeared on the cover of a magazine.
It remains to be seen whether Trump and Musk are able to maintain their relationship without it backfiring. “They’re going to collide at some point,” Swisher said.
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