Trump

keepingquiet

Trump is just a Musk puppet now. He wouldn't have won without Musk's money lets face it and now the two will be inseparable. The power behind the white house for sure.

To be fair, both parties had their donors - though I doubt Bill Gates and Michael Bloomberg could match Musk's contributions.

But, money talks, as we all know anyway. And nowhere does it talk louder than in the USA. I think.

Also, I believe it was as much how he (Musk) used X as the 'MAGA mouthpiece'. Not only did her reverse the ban when X was Twitter, on Trump's account - he also re-instated the previously suspended accounts of thousands and thousands of white-nationalists and Neo-Nazi account-holders who had been held-back for spreading conspiracy theories and hate-speech.

MAGA really resonated.

Trump is just a Musk puppet now. He wouldn't have won without Musk's money lets face it and now the two will be inseparable. The power behind the white house for sure.

foxie48

Trump and Musk, what an interesting combination. Puts poor JD in the shadows, I wonder how long he'll be happy with that? I notice Musk was in the Mar-E-L photo with Trump and his family.

That was very odd indeed.

Musk has his own family although I'm not sure if there is a current Mrs Musk.

Babs03

As was said on the politics show it wasn't just Starmer and Lammy making insulting comments about Trump, most European leaders have said something at some point about him, none of it complimentary, am wondering if one big apology by email with all the leaders and related ministers signatures, including his own VC would be acceptable.
And in the spirit of apology perhaps Trump could apologise to all the world leaders or associated ministers/colleagues he has insulted over the years, including Sadiq Khan.
I imagine his email will be lengthier.

Think it was Khan, who started the insults, by signing off that childish hot air balloon on Trumps state visit. Although of course he denies but supports it. With that he insulted all the American people who voted for their President.
Khan deserves all he gets back. I remember the one mocking him. He acts as London is his own person fiefdom. He did say he would leave the UK if Trump won. Like all lefties it's hot air.

No - he would be much too old. Pretty much on the border now,really. Hope he can cope with the stress .

Fleurpepper

Calling those comments 'meme' is just appalling.
All the signs are there, just as they were then.

Rubbish. Childish name calling

foxie48

Trump and Musk, what an interesting combination. Puts poor JD in the shadows, I wonder how long he'll be happy with that? I notice Musk was in the Mar-E-L photo with Trump and his family.

JD is, politically-speaking, relatively inexperienced.

Vance has less experience in elected office than other vice presidential nominees who were pilloried over their qualifications — most notably Geraldine Ferraro in 1984, Dan Quayle in 1988 and Sarah Palin, twenty years later. Not that long ago, it would have been a handicap that would have been a consistent and all-consuming topic of debate.

Experience, however, is no longer viewed as a badge of seriousness in either party, but especially among Republicans. Trump’s own 2016 victory came against an unusually deep and accomplished field of GOP governors and senators.

He mercilessly turned their years of service in government against them all, painting them as denizens of the Washington swamp that he promised to drain.

He (JD) projects cool anger, and knows the enemy as well as anyone in the party because he’s lived and circulated among them, as a venture capitalist, a celebrated author and a Yale Law School graduate. He doesn’t deliver his home state so much as send a message to the restive regions that the GOP aspires to keep in its fold — the Rust Belt and Appalachia.

Neat, eh?

(quotes from 'POLITICO')

Trump and Musk, what an interesting combination. Puts poor JD in the shadows, I wonder how long he'll be happy with that? I notice Musk was in the Mar-E-L photo with Trump and his family.

Wyllow3

Well said Dickens.

I have wondered what Maremia said above how long the relationship between Musk and Trump can last. I can't think of anyone with such great power lasting alongside Trump for long?

I have wondered what Maremia said above how long the relationship between Musk and Trump can last. I can't think of anyone with such great power lasting alongside Trump for long?

For anyone interested in behavioural sciences or psychology etc, it might make an interesting study at some point. It might be possible to fill a large conference hall with interested parties!

Egos can create huge blind spots for leaders, making them unaware of their impact on the business and on those around them

... so said Moshe Cohen, a senior lecturer at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business.

Who knows if, at some point, they will bump egos with each other? At the moment they are both in buddy-patting-on-the-back mode.

Elon Musk does not own any Lithium mines according to multiple sources in Google.

Tesla (one of his companies) has an exclusive contract with a Chinese mining Company for all its Lithium.

There has been extensive damage to the ecosystem in multiple areas due to this form of mining.

Nigeria turned down Musk's attempt to mine for Lithium in 2022/23. China mines in Nigeria.

ronib

OldFrill my son uses information from the internet. There are numerous references to mining lithium in Africa - LSE is credible.

Maybe your son should be on here, it's very difficult to discuss through a third party. I also get information from media sources, who doesn't? I also tend to check out my sons' opinions, as they would mine and form my own opinion. Saves all this 'my son says'. There was someone quoting a 'son's friend' - what kind of credentials are these.
Where is your son's source? Just the one? What actually is credible in today's media?

He of course intends to start fracking, foraging and re-open coal and other mines. With globla warming doing so much damage currently, what will happen then?

TRIP History has been doing a series on the US in the 60s. The one on George Wallace is fascinating and really helps to explain the appeal of Trump. Highly recommend it to anyone who wants to understand politics in the US.

OldFrill my son uses information from the internet. There are numerous references to mining lithium in Africa - LSE is credible.

ronib

Dickens my son pointed out that Musk will happily use lithium mined in Nigeria by very young children without any concern for consequences. My son said that is how we let rich men become even richer.
What really troubles me is that the world has gone entirely mad. So in the face of madness, what can the UK do? Refusing to engage with Musk is not the brightest idea?

Where does your son get his information? Musk (Tesla) have invested heavily in their own mines in Texas and South America.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Donald_Trump#:~:text=In%20August%202001%2C%20Trump%20changed,returned%20to%20the%20Republican%20Party.

Search out of pure curiosity:

"Trump registered as a Republican in Manhattan in 1987; since that time, he has changed his party affiliation five times.

In 1999, he changed his party affiliation to the Independence Party of New York.

In August 2001, Trump changed his party affiliation to Democratic.

In September 2009, he changed his party affiliation back to the Republican Party.

In December 2011, Trump changed to "no party affiliation" (independent).

In April 2012, he again returned to the Republican Party.[4]

Musk, Rogan and even Trump were all Democrats at one stage.

Well said Dickens.

I have wondered what Maremia said above how long the relationship between Musk and Trump can last. I can't think of anyone with such great power lasting alongside Trump for long?

Dickens my son pointed out that Musk will happily use lithium mined in Nigeria by very young children without any concern for consequences. My son said that is how we let rich men become even richer.
What really troubles me is that the world has gone entirely mad. So in the face of madness, what can the UK do? Refusing to engage with Musk is not the brightest idea?

I hadn’t realised that Musk had always been a democrat supporter but the party had totally blanked him. A bad tactical move it seems in retrospect, although I can understand why they did so. And on the TRIP live show ( which I couldn’t face watching at the time but listened to it yesterday) it pointed out that Harris should have agreed to do the podcast that Trump did. The man who did the podcast ( Rogan?) actually dislikes Trump but is a great friend of Musks and he is a great influencer of young men. Another tactical error showing a lack of connection with the electorate. I also wonder if Harris focussed on abortion rights and women’s safety but she ignored the fact that many women feel threatened by trans issues. That they feel they can control if they get pregnant or not but feel their personal space is being threatened?

well said Dickens.. and they will now have enormous AI power.. a rather terrifying prospect

ronib

David49 it’s just a very bad optic again for Labour - so against any involvement from Elon Musk recently. How ridiculous is our government?

How ridiculous is our government?

Ridiculous - for not calling out the richest man on the planet who used the power that gives him to attempt to malign it by stating on his platform - read by at least 250 million active users - that the government was releasing paedophiles from prison in order to lock up those who'd commented on social media; and who insisted that civil-war was inevitable in the UK.

Musk is a very rich and therefore very powerful man - so, what - we should all prostrate ourselves before him? Allow him carte-blanche to do and say what he likes?

Power itself isn't inherently corrupt - that corruption depends on the tendencies and motivation of the individual, and we have a right to question both - in Musk and Trump.

If you want a world governed by very very rich and powerful men who appear to believe they are absolved from having to obey laws; or the responsibility for what they say or do; who are prepared absolutely to ignore any societal rules; foment trouble where and when it suits - then go for it. Such men can and do become tyrants as any study of history will show, so don't expect everyone to lie down with you in awe.

I think the government, or more specifically, the business secretary, was cowardly for hiding behind the 'not-going-to-comment' trope that politicians use when they lack the courage to speak what they see as the truth, or they can't / won't articulate it for political reasons.

Both Musk and Trump cause division, and they do it deliberately - because they can. They are trouble-makers, protected by their wealth and the power it gives them. Stirring the pot, setting one demographic against the other to suit their agenda, does not make the world a better, nor a safer place.

David49 it’s just a very bad optic again for Labour - so against any involvement from Elon Musk recently. How ridiculous is our government?