Great discussion on the Secret Pod, it was kind of fun watching the Trump-Musk fight unfold in real time. My two cents: I don’t think Musk has the impulse control to just back away. Someone will bleet something negative about the budget bill and he’ll remember that he hates it and he’ll ramp up again. Trump could easily walk away but I don’t think Elon can do the same.
I’m not so sure Trump can walk away from this. It puts his entire authoritarian program at risk to have a competing power center. I think the ideal scenario for Trump is if Elon falls out of a window. Not sure he’s ready for that but I can’t see another way for DJT to get the power he desires.
I believe a man worth billions probably has at least one “back-up” pill box - more likely he has many, many “back-up” pill boxes in many locations. My own personal observations about folks with, ‘alleged’ substance abuse problems are as follows:
1. Musk may be able to regulate or even eschew his regular, preferred substance abuse regimen for a limited period of time, but not for long
2. The interregnum between abstinence and a return to abuse may provide some limited ‘peace’ between the combatants
3. Shortly after abstinence breaks- the resulting release for Musk will end in an even more destructive round of abuse and likely a serious miscalculation regarding the power dynamic between the wealthiest man in the world and the most powerful one
My only hope is the slight possibility that both will be wounded; Musk financially-
She does the Fox News rounds when Elon gets butthurt and goes to pout in his race car bed. I bet we see her pop her Cruella de Villa mop up any minute now.
I think that could be a fun little internecine battle that will be fought on the Congressional battlefield. Trump doesn’t care about EV’s (except insofar as he holds a deep suspicion of any machine that doesn’t show it’s a Real American by belching black smoke into the air). Republican members of Congress do care, in the deepest possible way — i.e., feeling that they may have some bearing on their future reelection — but different members within the GOP have polar opposite interests. This is a prime arena for those with the most to gain and the most to lose restoring EV credits to try to flex their muscles in the middle of the chaos.
This is a funny point about the black smoke belches, because it can't possibly something Trump has ever sincerely cared about or believed. It's just something he crudely internalized, probably via RW news, about how to win GOP primary voters' hearts and minds.
That he was absolutely right on this wildly reductive heuristic is one of the thickest throughlines of the last 10 years.
Great discussion on the Secret Pod, it was kind of fun watching the Trump-Musk fight unfold in real time. My two cents: I don’t think Musk has the impulse control to just back away. Someone will bleet something negative about the budget bill and he’ll remember that he hates it and he’ll ramp up again. Trump could easily walk away but I don’t think Elon can do the same.
I’m not so sure Trump can walk away from this. It puts his entire authoritarian program at risk to have a competing power center. I think the ideal scenario for Trump is if Elon falls out of a window. Not sure he’s ready for that but I can’t see another way for DJT to get the power he desires.
Ya, I think a new chorus of T.A.C.O. if two have a truce will drive Trump to restart the feud.
Musk's mum will have gotten to him by now and will be in charge of his phone and the pill box (if it does exist).
I believe a man worth billions probably has at least one “back-up” pill box - more likely he has many, many “back-up” pill boxes in many locations. My own personal observations about folks with, ‘alleged’ substance abuse problems are as follows:
1. Musk may be able to regulate or even eschew his regular, preferred substance abuse regimen for a limited period of time, but not for long
2. The interregnum between abstinence and a return to abuse may provide some limited ‘peace’ between the combatants
3. Shortly after abstinence breaks- the resulting release for Musk will end in an even more destructive round of abuse and likely a serious miscalculation regarding the power dynamic between the wealthiest man in the world and the most powerful one
My only hope is the slight possibility that both will be wounded; Musk financially-
Trump politically-
Does he have a relationship with his mum?
She does the Fox News rounds when Elon gets butthurt and goes to pout in his race car bed. I bet we see her pop her Cruella de Villa mop up any minute now.
She babies him to this day, reportedly
Let’s see if the EV credits are reinstated.
If the EV credits get reinstated that will be evidence of a Musk win and Trump chickening out (again)
I think that could be a fun little internecine battle that will be fought on the Congressional battlefield. Trump doesn’t care about EV’s (except insofar as he holds a deep suspicion of any machine that doesn’t show it’s a Real American by belching black smoke into the air). Republican members of Congress do care, in the deepest possible way — i.e., feeling that they may have some bearing on their future reelection — but different members within the GOP have polar opposite interests. This is a prime arena for those with the most to gain and the most to lose restoring EV credits to try to flex their muscles in the middle of the chaos.
This is a funny point about the black smoke belches, because it can't possibly something Trump has ever sincerely cared about or believed. It's just something he crudely internalized, probably via RW news, about how to win GOP primary voters' hearts and minds.
That he was absolutely right on this wildly reductive heuristic is one of the thickest throughlines of the last 10 years.