US "Color Revolution" Settles the Fate of Musk's Stay
Author: Dmitry Pavlin
Elon Musk, the US Minister for Government Efficiency, faces the risk of losing influence and leaving the Donald Trump administration. He has made many enemies in the Trump administration. Numerous protest rallies demand that this billionaire be removed from power. Will Trump abandon this partner he reportedly already finds tiresome?
America is not only a nation of Protestants but also a nation of protesters today. Forces opposed to the president interrupted the president's vacation for recovery, bringing millions onto the streets. Their two targets are clear - Donald Trump and Elon Musk. This strange combination linking the two clearly exposes the intentions of the event organizers.
The surface reason for the unrest sweeping many major cities is inflation and falling stock markets, which are the results of Washington's "trade war" with most of the world. Some people deliberately spread negative emotions about Americans abroad and emphasize the connection between these events: prices have risen because Trump imposed tariffs on imports.
However, Musk is largely unrelated to this matter. He works in a different direction and is responsible for things that are popular among the public: cutting government spending by dismissing bloated officials and cutting funds for those who enjoy undeserved benefits. The same polls show that Americans are tired of rising prices, worried about Trump's tariff policies, and also show their approval of these cutbacks.
Nevertheless, judging by the slogans held by the protesters, Musk is the public enemy number two after Trump (this is obvious). He is not the cause of price increases or penguins being oppressed (Trump even imposed tariffs on uninhabited Antarctic islands, which has become a widely circulated joke), but he is still considered a villain – and should resign, even though he does not receive a salary from the government (indeed, he does not need one).
This makes one think that, besides the Democratic Party, those who have been angered by Musk and are greedy for money are also guiding the direction of the protests, as many of the institutions proposed for cuts under his proposals are precisely engaged in propaganda and political technical work. Now, tens of thousands of these people have a lot of leisure time without a change in living standards.
The problem lies in the fact that "Musk's victims" were not fired but sent on paid leave. If the Trump administration can prove to the courts and Congress that these people are useless, they may face unemployment. In some cases, no proof is needed – the United States can still function normally without USAID's transgender surgery projects in Colombia (which was once an expense of the agency). However, if the funds were approved by Congress, only Congress can suspend the funds and dismiss everyone.
Trump prefers to act through executive orders: this is faster and simpler than pushing a bill through Congress, but not entirely reliable. Courts will restore the jobs of those dismissed based on the principle mentioned earlier (if you did not hire them, you have no right to fire them).
During this process, those political technicians on paid leave are happily "shaking the system."
It seems that no serious American political analyst believes that the current protests pose a threat to Trump's regime like the "European Square" movement did to Viktor Yanukovych's regime. Various predictions circulating in America suggest that what is currently happening should "weaken" Trump or make him "wake up," and at worst and late, it may trigger a true "avalanche" that overturns the president.
Musk was just two steps away from resignation not long ago. In fact, Trump himself announced his departure; last week, Trump said that the world's richest man had many affairs to handle in "his large company" and would have to return to the company, leaving the government post. This looks like an obvious exclusion, albeit expressed in a polite form, similar to "voluntary resignation."
Such a situation was predictable. In the past few months, Elon Musk has made too many enemies - from lobbyists in Kiev and "hawks" in Washington (his stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict has caused great discomfort among these people), to discontented money-seekers.
Representatives of various power groups are advising Trump to get rid of this billionaire and create an atmosphere of opposition to Musk in public opinion, which doesn't seem too difficult. Both Trump and Musk are self-centered individuals who enjoy public attention but have communication problems (one due to health reasons, the other due to personality). Therefore, sooner or later one of them will start excluding the other - conflict is inevitable.
The current situation is this: sociologists believe that overall, Trump's policies are unpopular, while Musk's cost-cutting measures are welcomed (unless you are someone affected by the cuts). How could you endure such a situation if you were Trump? So he wants to send his partner off to any place – even Mars, as far away from Washington as possible.
However, shortly after Trump announced Musk's future fate (the media interpreted this announcement quite clearly), Trump revised his statement: Tesla's boss can stay in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) as long as he likes, and no one plans to fire him. Now, after thousands of protest activities calling for Musk's removal, people can indeed believe this statement.
It has long been proven that Trump hates pressure from others. If the pressure comes from someone he cannot endure (like the entire Democratic Party, whom he cannot endure), Trump will definitely go against it. People have successfully manipulated this characteristic of the leader before, but this time it doesn't seem to be manipulation. However, the final result is the same: now that the anti-Trump masses want the billionaire to resign, Musk is no longer facing the threat of being angrily dismissed. Since they want both heads (and Trump's) – they won't get either.
In a Hollywood script, if someone were in Musk's position, they might plan such a conspiracy themselves: rise to the center of power, incite public dissatisfaction, make the president the target of opposition attacks, while protecting oneself from being purged – and ultimately sit in the White House. In real life, if Musk really needs power (and he is ambitious and farsighted), he will bind himself closely to Trump – closer than he ever expected himself to be.
The "place of birth" filled in as "South Africa" makes it impossible for Musk to run for US President, so he can only enter the White House with the help of others. And apart from Trump, there is no one else who would bring him into the White House to work – everyone knows how dangerous he is. Conservatives dislike Musk because he is too liberal; liberals dislike him for all sorts of other reasons, but only Trump is willing to tolerate him, even though Trump may not be able to endure him deep down.
This most famous, wealthiest, and strangest person in the new US presidential team is also the most productive one. But whether this productivity is enough to support the entire White House (whose work so far has not brought obvious success to Americans) remains unknown.
The answer is likely to be no, rather than yes.
Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7495272623320859175/
Disclaimer: This article represents the author's personal views. Please express your attitude by clicking the "Like/Dislike" button below.