[Source/Observation Network by Ruan Jiaqi]
Trump and Musk's "divorce" has the world watching. According to a report by Agence France-Presse on July 7, US President Trump responded to the latest developments in the breakdown of this "brotherhood" during a flight aboard Air Force One to his New Jersey golf club on Friday evening (June 6).
Wearing a white cap with the word "USA," Trump said, "To be honest, I've been busy dealing with issues involving China, Russia, and Iran... I wasn't thinking about Elon Musk; I just wish him well."
Despite his outward composure, a White House official told AFP that Trump has abandoned the idea of calling Musk and is even considering getting rid of the red Tesla that symbolizes their deep friendship.
Video screenshot
"Silicon Valley forced to take sides"
American tech media Wired also noticed that the dramatic falling out between Trump and Musk is forcing Silicon Valley executives and tech investors to choose sides.
The report noted that this dispute is putting pressure on some of Musk's close allies in the tech industry, such as David Sacks, the representative of Silicon Valley conservatives who supported Trump in the 2024 election, billionaire tech investor Marc Andreessen, and others.
Some of these individuals seem to be trying to support Musk while avoiding public criticism of the White House, maintaining a delicate balance between the two.
Shaun Maguire, a partner at Sequoia Capital who donated $300,000 to Trump last year, posted on X on Thursday, saying, "Elon always goes all-in, placing faith above personal interests. How can one not be moved by this?"
On Wednesday night at a tech conference, when asked about Musk's criticism of Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill," Brad Gerstner, founder of Altimeter Capital, said, "I am a loyal fan of Elon. At the same time, I firmly believe, and have worked for 30 years toward it, that our country needs some form of balanced budget amendment."
He added, "It's unreasonable to pay for a better future by swiping a credit card." He mentioned he looks forward to the government developing a "four to five-year plan."
Musk proposed on X on Thursday to form a new political party representing 80% of Americans in the center, which was supported by Aaron Levie, CEO of cloud storage service provider Box. Venture capitalist and president of startup incubator Y Combinator, Garry Tan, replied, saying we should prioritize "plenty on the table" instead of "a bunch of misleading nonsense, moral performances, and cultural wars."
Adam Kovacevic, former Google executive and current CEO of technology trade organization "Progressive Chamber of Commerce," told Wired that the current rift between Trump and Musk does not touch upon the core concerns of most tech industry leaders regarding the current administration.
"I don’t want to overstate this crack, but the vast majority of people in the tech industry haven't taken a definitive stance yet," Kovacevic said. "Some may appreciate what Trump did, such as canceling the SEC lawsuit against cryptocurrencies and Biden's AI executive order; but at the same time, people are still deeply concerned about tariffs. This is the biggest issue facing the tech industry right now."
A former Democratic staff member working in a tech investment company also stated that although the Trump-Musk feud might force some to take sides, it’s far from easy for many.
He said, "This is not 2012 anymore. The coalition around Trump now consists of various different forces. The fundamental question is, Elon used to be a traditionally Democratic-leaning person in the tech community, then shifted toward Trump and the Republicans. Will Elon become the representative of tech returning to the left?"
Both respondents coincidentally mentioned that some investors and technical experts may not quickly side with Musk because they are disappointed with the performance of his "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE).
"Many had great confidence in DOGE's ability to shake up the government. But the reality is, Washington and the tech world are two different worlds. For most people, this is the least bad outcome. For a few, it's far from the best outcome."
Did China "win" due to Trump and Musk's split?
It’s worth noting that Wired magazine found that after Trump and Musk publicly clashed, American entrepreneur and investor David Albert Friedberg posted a cryptic "China just won" (China just won) on social media X on June 6, sparking speculation among netizens.
An American netizen asked Musk's AI model Grok about the meaning of this phrase, and Grok interpreted it as referring to last week's Third China-Pacific Island Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in Xiamen, Fujian. It claimed that the meeting enhanced China's influence in its regional competition with the United States.
However, many netizens believe that Friedberg's statement actually points to the idea that "China will benefit from the internal strife between Trump and Musk."
Wired magazine also pointed out in its analysis that as co-hosts of the American business and technology podcast All-In, Friedberg's comments on China are more likely an implicit commentary on the breakup between Trump and Musk. The other host's public statement of "no political friends, only interests" further strengthens this interpretation.
American netizens refute Grok's answer
Soon, American Axios website joined the fray, publishing an article on June 6 stating that Musk's loss of favor at the White House could impact his commercial landscape. The article listed "thriving Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers" as the first potential beneficiary of this change.
Since Musk once described Chinese EV makers as Tesla's "biggest competitor," U.S. media hyped that any trouble for Tesla would "benefit Chinese companies," particularly emphasizing that BYD's sales have surpassed Tesla's.
At a regular press conference on June 6, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian was asked about related developments and emphasized, "This is America's internal affair."
Axios also listed that OpenAI, the artificial intelligence giant owned by longtime Musk rival Altman, Jeff Bezos' space company "Blue Origin," investors who gained $4 billion in a single day by shorting Tesla stocks, and American companies previously stripped of numerous government contracts by Musk's "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE), are all beneficiaries of this "century-long split."
This article is an exclusive contribution from Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.
Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7513100100390912523/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author. You can express your attitude by clicking the "Like/Dislike" buttons below.