Trump will come out on top in his battle with Musk

Telegraph

a day ago

In the end it was always bound to get messy – how could it not? Two bombastic billionaires aligned by ambition and imperiousness – an unlikely bromance fuelled by an unquenchable attraction to both legitimacy and impunity.
But here we are – barely four months after joining him in the Oval Office, Tesla-chief Elon Musk has not merely fallen out with his presidential benefactor: he's taking their battle public. On Thursday, Musk – now finished leading Trump's cost-cutting Department of Government Efficiency – 'went nuclear,' as the New York Post phrased it, accusing the president of covering up his cameo in the infamous Jeffrey Epstein sex-crimes saga.
'Time to drop the really big bomb,' posted Musk on Twitter Thursday afternoon. 'That is the real reason they have not been made public,' he added as he teased an Epstein-related bombshell.
The daggers come as Musk takes aim at Trump's massive One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which bundles together much of the president's key legislative objectives. The bill has already passed in the House, but Musk wants Congress to 'kill it.' His beef: among other provisions, the ending of tax credits for electric vehicles (like Musk-made Teslas) which was approved by former president Joe Biden.
As both Trump and Musk know well, the truth around the Epstein affair matters far less than the fact that the two men are fighting about it. Even if Musk uncovers some sort of sexual salaciousness, it's unlikely to matter – both to Trump, nor his base, who are fully aware of (and unbothered by) the President's messy amorous history. What really matters is Trump – both his tendency for prolonged distractions (such as Musk!) and his zeal for heart-daggering retribution.
Still Musk, despite lacking presidential powers, cannot be easily taken down – after all his perch exists because the president placed him there. But neither can Musk simply dismiss Trump outright. Ever skilful with a threat, Trump has already warned that he could withhold 'billion and billions of dollars' in federal funding for Musk-related companies, such as Tesla and Space X. Little doubt Trump could easily identify billions more.
But cutting Musk's cash flow won't come without consequence: SpaceX, for instance, forms much of the transport network needed to maintain the International Space Station. Yet Trump's barbs matter just as much – Tesla's stock sank nearly 10 per cent on Thursday in response to the Trump-Musk kerfuffle. Considering the stock is already trading 40 per cent below its 52-week high, Musk could face internal pressure to tone things down if his feud with the president deepens.
It likely will – at least in the short term. After all, neither Trump nor Musk shy away from conflict and both view adversarialism as a necessary tool of conquest. Both certainly have the required ammunition – billions of dollars, wholly-owned social media platforms and eager, sycophantic fan bases.
But Trump – clear-eyed against Musk's alleged drug-taking – will likely wind up the winner. Having poured hundreds of millions of dollars into Trump's campaign, Musk clearly craves a return on his investment. He had one when he was hanging in the Oval, but now cast adrift he's clearly resentful and seeking vengeance.
Trump, however, wants nothing nor really needs nothing from Musk – except, when the time comes, to simply be left alone. For men like Musk and Trump – consumed with attention and approval – indifference may prove the most potent poison of all.