Latest news with #DarkMAGA
News18
07-06-2025
- Politics
- News18
Musk Vs Trump: Dark MAGA Conspiracy Theory Sparks Fears Of Tech-Backed Coup In US
Last Updated: The 'Dark MAGA' theory claims Musk and other tech elites aim to replace Trump with a CEO-style leader, raising fresh questions amid Musk's public feud with the former president. Elon Musk's now-deleted post claiming Donald Trump's name appears in sealed Jeffrey Epstein files has sparked new scrutiny and reignited a conspiracy theory that links the Tesla CEO to a wider tech elite allegedly working to reshape American politics. The theory, dubbed 'Dark MAGA," suggests Musk was never truly backing Trump but was instead part of a secretive tech elite aiming to replace him with a CEO-style leader of their choosing, reports by the Daily Beast and the Daily Mail said. Musk's now-deleted post accusing Trump of being named in Jeffrey Epstein's files has only intensified speculation. The tech mogul claimed the documents have been kept secret before allegedly quietly erasing the post. The theory stems from Musk's symbolic shift during the 2024 campaign, where he was frequently seen wearing the black 'Dark MAGA" cap, a twist on Trump's red MAGA branding. Conspiracy theorists now argue this was always a signal and Musk's way of declaring he had infiltrated the movement with a different agenda. According to believers of the conspiracy, a shadowy network of billionaires including Musk and Peter Thiel, often referred to as the 'PayPal Mafia," want to dismantle democracy and transform the US into a corporatocracy led by a tech-appointed figurehead. Their supposed top pick? Vice President JD Vance. The firestorm erupted after Musk shared, then deleted, a tweet saying: 'Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT." He later doubled down by sharing a resurfaced 1992 video showing Trump partying with Epstein, adding only an inquisitive emoji. The explosive post caused chaos online before Musk allegedly abruptly took it down. Responding to the allegation, JD Vance firmly rejected the claim, stating, 'Absolutely not, Donald Trump didn't do anything with Epstein." Vance also struck a conciliatory tone toward the Tesla boss, saying, 'I hope eventually Elon comes back into the fold." The feud between Musk and Trump reached boiling point after Musk blasted the president's multi-trillion-dollar tax-and-spend bill. In response, Trump warned he might cancel Tesla and SpaceX's government contracts to cut the deficit. Musk shot back, threatening to begin decommissioning SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft which is a vital link in NASA's space missions. Former Trump aide Steve Bannon took things further, urging the president to seize SpaceX using national security laws and punish Musk for disloyalty. Bannon called Musk a tech oligarch trying to 'hijack the republic." Adding fuel to the theory is the involvement of Curtis Yarvin, a coder-turned-philosopher whose 'Dark Enlightenment" ideas have reportedly influenced Silicon Valley's elite. Writing under the name Mencius Moldbug, Yarvin advocates for replacing democracy with a monarch-like CEO government, where billionaires call the shots, elections vanish, and the bureaucracy is gutted, according to the report by the UK-based Daily Mail. Advertisement The overlap between these views and Musk's real-world role in the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is striking. Under DOGE, more than 2.5 lakh government jobs have already been axed since Trump returned to power in January. top videos View All Meanwhile, JD Vance, who some believe is the group's chosen successor to Trump, continued defending the president, calling recent attacks 'corporate media lies". He said Trump was far more disciplined than critics claim, and that the gap between perception and reality is 'maybe the single biggest disconnect". About the Author Shankhyaneel Sarkar News18's viral page features trending stories, videos, and memes, covering quirky incidents, social media buzz from india and around the world, Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : donald trump elon musk MAGA Location : Washington D.C., United States of America (USA) First Published: June 07, 2025, 21:01 IST News viral Musk Vs Trump: Dark MAGA Conspiracy Theory Sparks Fears Of Tech-Backed Coup In US
Metro
07-06-2025
- Politics
- Metro
What to know about 'Dark MAGA', the theory about tech bosses in government
Red hats with white stitching have become synonymous with one person in recent years: Donald Trump. His 'Make America Great Again' caps are donned proudly by supporters and even former advisors – Elon Musk wore a customised version, reading 'Trump Was Right About Everything!' earlier this year. At a rally during Trump's campaign, Musk even joked: 'I'm not just MAGA, I'm dark MAGA.' The remarks were likely tied to his increasingly dark attire, including an all black version of the MAGA hat. But some have connected this to a fringe conspiracy theory about a government takeover involving tech bosses – and his public fallout with Trump has fanned the flames. The term dark MAGA comes from a theory known as 'dark enlightenment'. The theory is believed to come from Curtis Yarvin, 51, a computer coder who claims tech bosses will overthrow the government and install a CEO to run things. Seems outlandish, right? Not for everyone. The theory has gained traction in recent years as Trump cosies up to tech bosses – Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg were all at his inauguration, by personal invitation. And the theory is fringe – but parts of it are eerily 'coming true'. It mentions mass firings of federal employees, fear tactics to distract the masses and elections deemed 'obsolete'. Washington institutions have reportedly been briefed about 'Dark Enlightenment', or 'Dark MAGA', as it's become known. The first major cracks in their relationship showed at the end of last month on what turned out to be Musk's last day in the White House. The Tesla CEO had become bolder in expressing his dissent over Trump's budget and tax cut bill, currently making its way through Congress. Asked about Musk's disapproval of his 'Big, Beautiful Bill', the US president told reporters: 'Elon and I had a great relationship. I don't know if we will ever again.' Musk responded, lashing out further overnight, branding it a 'disgusting abomination' that will explode federal budget deficits. More Trending 'Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it,' he wrote on X. The criticism quickly escalated into an all-out brawl between the pair, each on their own social media sites, Truth Social and X, or in press conferences. But it was Musk's tweet – linking Trump with the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein – that has caused the most controversy. He alleged that the Republican leader is featured in the secret government files on rich and powerful former associates of the sex offender, reigniting long-running conspiracy theories. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Zelensky refutes Trump's take on war and calls Putin 'murderer who came to kill the kids' MORE: Donald Trump calls Elon Musk 'the man who has lost his mind' and won't talk to him MORE: Donald Trump's new anti-terror chief is a 22-year-old former gardener
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Vance Sucks Up to Trump to Deny He's Part of Musk Coup Plot
J.D. Vance was forced to reaffirm his allegiance to President Trump after Elon Musk backed a call for the vice president to replace his boss. A spat between Musk and Trump over the president's 'big beautiful bill,' which the Tesla CEO denounced as a 'disgusting abomination,' has blown up into an all-out MAGA civil war, with Musk and Trump dramatically trading blows in public. On Thursday, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO replied 'Yes' to a post by an X user who asked: 'President vs Elon. Who wins? My money's on Elon. Trump should be impeached and Vance should replace him.' Musk publicly mused about starting a political party, and told his followers in a bombshell allegation that Trump was named in the Epstein files, signing off by saying: 'Have a nice day, DJT!' He added in a follow-up post, 'Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out.' Vance also features in a conspiracy theory called 'Dark Enlightenment' or Dark MAGA" that suggests a secretive cabal of tech titans is plotting to blow up the government and rule as a giant corporation with a CEO instead of a president. The Silicon Valley plotters, including Musk, chose Vance as the person who would take over when Trump is toppled, according to the theory. Trump has yet to address the latest allegations personally. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt issued a statement saying: 'This is an unfortunate episode from Elon, who is unhappy with the 'One Big Beautiful Bill' because it does not include the policies he wanted.' As the drama escalated, Vance posted a picture teasing a Friday appearance on the podcast of Trump-friendly comedian Theo Von. 'Slow news day, what are we even going to talk about?' Vance joked. In a follow-up post, the vice president added: 'President Trump has done more than any person in my lifetime to earn the trust of the movement he leads. I'm proud to stand beside him.' Musk and Trump's alliance began to unravel after the GOP-controlled House of Representatives narrowly passed Trump's flagship budget proposal last month. Before that, Musk had pushed Trump's agenda by leading his so-called Department of Government Efficiency, an initiative within the administration tasked with cutting government spending and jobs. Musk publicly attacked Trump's bill on the grounds that it would undermine his work with DOGE by adding trillions to the U.S. budget deficit. But on Thursday, Trump claimed that Musk was really upset about the effect the bill will have on his electric vehicle company, Tesla. 'I asked him to leave, I took away his EV Mandate that forced everyone to buy Electric Cars that nobody else wanted (that he knew for months I was going to do!), and he just went CRAZY!' Trump wrote on Truth Social. 'The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon's Governmental Subsidies and Contracts. I was always surprised that Biden didn't do it!' the president added.
Daily Mail
06-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Musk's attack on Trump sparks fears that 'Dark MAGA conspiracy' is coming true
A chilling conspiracy theory claims to know the reason behind Elon Musk 's attacks on President Donald Trump, saying it was his plan all along. Since the 2024 presidential campaign, Musk has been seen wearing and promoting the 'Dark MAGA' cap, a black-colored version of Trump's famously red Make America Great Again apparel. However, believers of the 'Dark MAGA conspiracy' claim this was a signal of Musk's real intentions for joining the campaign despite not having any concrete evidence of a plot existing. The conspiracy claims that a secret group of tech elites is plotting to undermine Trump and turn the US into a 'giant company' run by a new CEO that they would hand-pick. This theory started to gain more attention on social media after JD Vance was chosen as the vice presidential candidate, despite reports that Trump was leaning towards other choices, including Fox News host Maria Bartiromo. Now, as Musk has fired off shocking claims about Trump, including that the president is deeply connected to Jeffrey Epstein and should be replaced by Vice President Vance, the Dark MAGA conspiracy appears to be coming true in real time. Among the tech bosses allegedly part of this plot are Musk and Peter Thiel, the founders of PayPal. Conspiracy theorists believe that the group's ultimate goal is to dismantle American democracy and transform the country into a 'corporate monarchy' run by tech billionaires. Both Musk and Thiel wanted Vance chosen as Trump's running mate last year, according to The Daily Beast. Moreover, their multi-million-dollar campaign war chest for Trump was allegedly tied to the president picking the Ohio senator. According to the Dark MAGA conspiracy, however, the so-called 'PayPal Mafia' and Silicon Valley billionaires have been secretly grooming Vance to eventually replace Trump. Despite the claims Vance is a corporate plant, the vice president came to Trump's defense on Friday morning as he slammed 'corporate media lies' about the president. 'There are many lies the corporate media tells about President Trump. One of the most glaring is that he's impulsive or short-tempered,' he posted on X. 'Anyone who has seen him operate under pressure knows that's ridiculous.' Vance added in a follow up post that 'it's (maybe) the single biggest disconnect between fake media perception and reality.' Also a part of the Dark MAGA (also called the Dark Enlightenment) conspiracy is Curtis Yarvin, a former computer coder and self-proclaimed 'Dark Elf' philosopher. Writing under the pseudonym Mencius Moldbug in a 2008 blog, Yarvin advocated for a dictator-led monarchy to replace democracy in the US. Yarvin's ideas, once fringe, have allegedly gained a following among tech giants like Musk, Thiel, and billionaire software engineer Marc Andreessen. Yarvin compared democracy to 'outdated software' and called for the creation of a tech-driven government where the federal workforce was significantly slashed, elections became obsolete, and billionaires made all decisions for the country. The parallels between Musk's work with the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and the Dark MAGA conspiracy appear eerily similar. Under Musk's leadership, DOGE has been credited with slashing over 250,000 government jobs since the start of the Trump Administration on January 20. That same day, Dark MAGA conspiracy theorists took note of the eye-opening sight of several tech billionaires in attendance at President Trump's second inauguration. The guests included Musk, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Apple CEO Tim Cook, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. The alleged plot has only gained more attention this week, as Musk's sudden falling out with President Trump reached a new level of animosity. The clash began over Musk's opposition to Trump's 'big, beautiful bill,' which will reportedly add trillions to the national deficit and wipe out the savings from DOGE. The fight quickly devolved into a string of personal insults between the two men, prompting the president to consider terminating all of Musk's multi-billion-dollar government contracts for SpaceX and Tesla. 'The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon's Governmental Subsidies and Contracts,' Trump said on Truth Social. Musk fired back right away, saying that SpaceX would begin 'decommissioning' its Dragon spacecraft immediately in response to the threat. The spacecraft is vital for ferrying NASA astronauts to and from the International Space Station. Steve Bannon, a former senior adviser to Trump during his first administration and a fierce critic of Elon Musk, quickly weighed in during his 'War Room Live' broadcast on Thursday. He urged the president to seize SpaceX from the billionaire entrepreneur and invoke the Defense Production Act - a national security measure dating back to the Korean War era - to seize control of the company. has reached out to Musk and SpaceX for comment on the status of the Dragon program. In this grim conspiracy, Trump is painted as an unwitting 'messenger of chaos,' with Musk acting as the true director of a tech-driven dystopian society. 'Some of Washington's biggest institutions have been briefed about Dark Enlightenment. They are taking it seriously,' The Daily Beast claimed on Friday. Ironically, Democrats have continued to claim that President Trump is a threat to democracy because of his policies on immigration and government spending. However, the Dark MAGA conspiracy alleges that the real threat comes from those seeking to unseat the 47th president and replace him with a tech-backed CEO. On Friday, Musk continued his assault on the president, re-sharing a stunning clip showing Trump partying with Jeffrey Epstein. The clip was from 1992, showing the president and notorious pedophile surrounded by women and dancing at a club. The footage was posted by X user Natalie Danelishen, before Musk re-shared it with an inquisitive faced emoji.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The Dark MAGA Conspiracy Where Musk Destroys Trump and Democracy
In 2020, Elon Musk told The Wall Street Journal that the 'government is simply the largest corporation.' For the man who has everything, what else would he want? The attempt by the world's richest man to both reduce and reboot the sprawling federal bureaucracy whiffed miserably. No boss ever gets popular by firing a workforce, especially when the sums don't add up. But Thursday's incendiary X attacks on Donald Trump may have revealed a more sinister method to Musk's madness. It may lead down dark corridors way beyond the shocking upheaval of the current administration. Musk, after all, is not a person to give up without a fight. Elon has been compared to Brutus as he sticks a $420 billion knife into the president's back with his relentless posts. But Brutus killed Caesar to protect the Republic. Musk's goal may well be to destroy it. The clue is in Musk's black MAGA caps. He wasn't thinking of a golden era. It was the dark before the dawn. We are perhaps not far off from seeing the Dark MAGA conspiracy theory involving Musk come to life. It goes like this: A secret cabal of tech bros was plotting to usurp Trump and turn the United States into a giant company run by a CEO they would install in his place. The whole concept started to gain traction after JD Vance was chosen as Trump's running mate. Vance wasn't Trump's choice. Donald wanted Fox News host Maria Bartiromo. Musk wanted Vance, and so did PayPal founder Peter Thiel. Their multi-million-dollar campaign war chest was dependent on the choice that Trump got pushed into. According to the 'Dark MAGA' or 'Dark Enlightenment' theory, Vance was groomed by Silicon Valley billionaires as Trump's successor. He was their man in government. He was their sleeper. The theory has its roots in Musk and Thiel's involvement in PayPal, the company that launched their fortunes. Other PayPal executives went on to lead other tech firms as part of a so-called 'PayPal Mafia.' The supposed guru of the Dark Enlightenment movement was Curtis Yarvin, 51, a Brown-educated, one-time pony-tailed computer coder. He preaches that the media and academia are a 'Cathedral' that secretly controls the country. Harvard was the deep state ruler. The New York Times was the devil. You can see where this is going. Under the alias of 'Mencius Moldbug', Yarvin wrote a 120,000-word blog called 'An Open Letter to Open-Minded Progressives.' It lobbed a hand grenade at the heart of democracy as long ago as 2008. At that time, the U.S. was enthralled by the idea of 'Hope,' instilled by the election of Barack Obama as president. Democracy was at the very heart of Obama's philosophy. Yarvin believed differently. He argued that America should be run by a 'monarchy' presided over by a dictator CEO. Federal employees would be fired in such quantities that the government would no longer be manageable. Elections would be deemed obsolete. Policies would engender fear and distract the population. The Dark MAGA or Dark Enlightenment theory says it is the remit of the tech billionaires to run the world because they are the only ones with the resources and the know-how to fix it. To Yarvin, who likes to philosophize in computer idioms, democracy was 'outdated software' and government needed a 'reboot.' For years, Yarvin's views were marginalized and ridiculed. Then, in 2025, they began to become a reality. Venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, an adviser to Trump, has cited Yarvin, as has Musk. Yarvin, often referred to in this geeky techie circle as the 'Dark Elf' philosopher, was invited to the inauguration. He has appeared on shows with Tucker Carlson and Charlie Kirk. Steve Bannon is an admirer. His theories became Executive Orders. They found a home in the Trump administration. But Trump was the messenger of chaos. Musk was the arbiter. Some of Washington's biggest institutions have been briefed about Dark Enlightenment. They are taking it seriously. We may have expected the great bromance between the president and his prince to end, but few expected it to be so vicious. In a matter of hours, Trump was facing a challenge to his authority that could damage him more than Joe Biden or Kamala Harris ever could. Musk's virulent opposition—taking the gloves off with a reference to Jeffrey Epstein, for example—poses an existential threat to the presidency. Trump thought long and hard about reacting to Musk's outspoken opposition to his 'big, beautiful bill.' But he couldn't help himself. He is the scorpion. He will sting because that's his nature. Musk will win, because that's his. The swords are drawn now. The Trump Show has taken a much darker turn. The great irony is that Donald Trump could represent the last bastion of democracy in a country built on the very idea of freedom. Because if you are going to put money on the winner in this fight, Musk has it all.
