I don’t know how they ever fit both their egos into the Oval Office. Their feud over the Big Beautiful Bill is pretextual and is a sign of their feud rather than its cause. Musk is correct that the bill would be better with five trillion less spending. Trump is correct that it could never pass then. My prediction is that they will be the best of pals again in 60 days. They need each other and have a transactional view of life. Trump needs Musk’s brilliance and money for his administration to succeed. Musk has burned his bridges with the Democrats and needs an in with one of the major parties. Just one more conflict that Trump will have to patch up.
The Bickersons
- Donald R. McClarey
Donald R. McClarey
Cradle Catholic. Active in the pro-life movement since 1973. Father of three, one in Heaven, and happily married for 43 years. Small town lawyer and amateur historian. Former president of the board of directors of the local crisis pregnancy center for a decade.
If the midterm elections aren’t a win for the Republicans then MAGA and Trump will be lame ducks. It’s not the time fight for something that in this moment wouldn’t pass. Yes the “big beautiful bill” is obscene after all the blood, sweat and tears Musk put into DOGE. But if ground must be given back to win a war, you give it back. Both men have large egos but they’re smart.
I hold out the hope that this is all a purposeful distraction for the democrat theater-kids and in a few months all will be patched up. After the democrats have spent months and months trying to exploit a feud.
It might be a play for a bi-partisan push for the release of the Epstein files and more. “Oh, I guess Trump isn’t on the list, but damm look who is.”
“Oh I want going to buy a Tesla, but now I will.”
“Oh we were going to question the government contracts for Starlink and SpaceX but now we won’t”. “We were going to push for the oligarch angle in the midterms, but now we can’t.”
Musk exits stage left having accomplished what he wanted and now neither Democrat nor Republican.
Given that Trump won on putting together a rather fragile and disparate coalition, after getting the BBB through I think he’ll need to throw some rather big bones to them to keep them on board, whether MAHA or the Musk bros, etc. Many in this coalition voted for him, not for the republican brand, and I don’t think they will automatically vote accordingly in the midterms unless Trump gives them a similarly big and beautiful reason to do so.
David WS, I think you’re right that much of this is an intentional diversion. I don’tdoubt the differences between them, and believe our host’s analysis is also correct. Let’s see how it goes.
We cannot balance the budget because our political class is garbage.
Good material for the woke late night comedy shows. I reckon it’s an act.