An ongoing disagreement between Top Tech mogul, Elon Musk, and Steve Bannon, a former Trump advisor, took another heated turn recently. This feud, which revolves around the pair’s conflicting political views and differing opinions on business strategies, saw Musk project that Bannon is potentially headed for imprisonment. Consequently, Bannon retaliated with a sharp barb, directing Musk to return to his birthplace of South Africa. This exchange comes in the aftermath of Musk’s recent conflict with the president, who, after scrutinizing Tesla’s reliance on governmental subsidies, hinted towards possible action against Musk, inclining towards deportation.
A social media user instigated this latest skirmish between the two figures, by bringing to light Bannon’s previous proposal of nationalising SpaceX under the Trump administration. Musk, seemingly undeterred by this reference, quickly countered with a tweet forecasting Bannon’s future incarceration. Interestingly, he cited Bannon’s previous four months of imprisonment in 2024 – a consequence borne from Bannon’s conspicuous refusal to participate in a Congressional probe investigating the infamous January 6 riots.
Known for his tenacious demeanor, Bannon was quick to respond to Musk’s jibe. His retaliatory assertion left nothing to imagination – he does not merely disapprove of Musk, he harbors a deep-rooted hatred for him. Bannon’s stance can also be attributed to his belief that Musk neither embraces MAGA values nor adheres to conservative principles, according to his explicit comments on The Daily Podcast’s Tuesday edition, as reported by the New York Times.
Meanwhile, Bannon critiqued Musk’s seemly apathy towards the working class and their interests. According to Bannon, Musk’s apparent disregard for Trump’s commitment towards the working class is overshadowed by his own financial interests. Bannon’s perspective paints a picture of Musk as a corporate giant who prioritizes his stock prices and wealth augmentation over socio-political responsibilities.
Interestingly, Trump entertained the idea of Musk’s deportation during a news conference, causing a stir in the media. He spoke hypothetically about the possibility of DOGE – the Department of Government Efficiency, assuming control over Musk’s entities, notably suggesting a cannibalistic takeover of his ventures.
DOGE, Trump believes, could be an ‘entity’ that may ultimately consume Musk, drawing an eerie simile between an uncontrollable beast and his government efficiency department. ‘Imagine that unfortunate predicament!’, he rhetorically inquired. Simultaneously, he mentioned Musk’s discontentment with the termination of the EV mandate but revealed that nonetheless, Musk’s companies receive significant subsidies.
Musk responded to these deportation assertions via a post on social platform X and shared his dilemma of escalating the matter further. However, he stated that he would maintain his restraint, at least for the time being.
Earlier in June, Bannon had advised the president to instigate a special counsel to investigate Musk’s alleged drug involvement. Bannon had suggested this on the pretext that SpaceX is majorly a government enterprise due to its largely government driven revenue. Musk countered Bannon’s claims, categorizing Bannon as a fabricator.
Bannon, widely recognized as the previous Breitbart media head, used to be a prime aid during Trump’s first tenure and continues to be an avid Trump supporter, despite his departure from Trump’s close-knit advisory group. Conversely, Musk has ramped up his opposition against Trump, threatening to financially support primaries for any Republicans who vote in favor of Trump’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’.
The tech tycoon went a step further, advocating a brand new ‘America Party’, the inception of which he mentioned would fall on the day following the bill’s official passage in the House. Bannon addressed these claims on his War Room podcast, ridiculing Musk’s party formation suggestions.
Bannon’s argument was rooted in challenging Musk’s national loyalty, arguing that the driver behind the formation of an ‘America Party’ is someone who isn’t a born American. In order to highlight this irony, Bannon advised Musk to return to South Africa, poking fun at Musk’s patriotism.
His argument extended to inviting Musk to initiate a South African party, ironically suggesting that Musk should allocate his resources towards improving his birth country first. Bannon’s thinly veiled attempt at humiliation stems from his perceived notion that Musk’s anti-Trump stance was triggered by him being excluded from the president’s plans.
It remains to be seen how this feud evolves over time and whether it has any substantive impact on the political landscape or the successful operations of Elon Musk’s ventures. The idea that such a personal feud could impact national policy or disrupt business proves once again how closely intertwined politics and big business truly are.
The post Musk vs Bannon: A Battle of Barbs over National Politics appeared first on Real News Now.
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