Source: Global Times

[Global Times Correspondent in the United States, Dai Runzhi; Global Times Reporter, Chen Zishuai; Global Times Special Correspondent, Li Jing] Editor's Note: On July 1st, American far-right figure Bannon joined the verbal battle between U.S. President Trump and entrepreneur Musk. Bannon, who served as Chief Strategist at the White House during Trump's first term, told Musk to "go back to South Africa," while Musk predicted that Bannon would "return to prison." The two have long-standing conflicts, and behind this is a power struggle within the MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement between populists and the tech right wing. Some views suggest that the differences between these two factions could affect the future of the Republican Party. Some analysts also point out that this will not have a significant impact on U.S. foreign policy for now, as Trump has absolute control over the Republican camp.

Bannon (left) and Musk Source: U.S. media

"Musk is out" vs "Bannon will return to prison"

"Musk is out." Two days after U.S. President Trump and entrepreneur Musk again attacked each other over the "Big and Beautiful" bill, Trump's former senior strategist Bannon also joined the verbal clash. According to reports from media outlets such as The Beast Daily, on July 1st, Bannon said in his podcast "War Room" that Musk should "go back to South Africa." Musk retaliated by saying that Bannon would "return to prison."

This is not the first time the two have had a heated argument. Bannon previously described Musk as a "parasitic illegal immigrant" and "a truly evil person," claiming that this tech tycoon only cares about his own interests, not the voters or the campaign promises Trump made to them, and that he would "stab the Republicans in the back." In early June, Bannon urged prosecutors to investigate Musk's alleged drug use and suggested the White House "nationalize SpaceX with a new management team." Musk has repeatedly called Bannon "an idiot."

"The long-standing hostility between Bannon and Musk highlights a major contradiction at the core of the MAGA movement," reported The New York Times. This contradiction pits people like Bannon against the super-rich interest groups represented by Musk. Media outlets such as The Atlantic Magazine state that the White House alliance consists of two distinct yet overlapping factions: one is the far-right nationalist faction represented by Bannon, also known as MAGA populists or MAGA nationalists, and the other is the tech right wing represented by Musk. According to reports from multiple U.S. media outlets, representatives of MAGA populism also include Trump's trade and manufacturing senior advisor Navarro and Deputy White House Chief of Staff Miller.

According to reports from websites such as Business Insider, 71-year-old Bannon has considerable influence in Washington and is at the top of the hierarchy in shaping the MAGA ideology. Bannon claims that he speaks to Navarro every day, who was once a host on "War Room." U.S. Treasury Secretary Bensons is referred to by Bannon as "my man." The Guardian reported that Miller is the designer of the current U.S. government's hardline immigration policies and one of the main figures behind recent riots in Los Angeles. Born into a wealthy Jewish family in Los Angeles, Miller previously urged U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials to increase arrests of immigrants to fulfill Trump's promises made during last year's campaign. According to The Wall Street Journal, in May this year, at an ICE meeting, Miller ordered the agency staff to abandon their usual practice of compiling lists of undocumented immigrant suspects and instead conduct mass arrests at places like Home Depot where undocumented immigrants gather. Miller's anti-immigrant stance was evident even in high school. In 2013, with Miller's help, Alabama Republican Senator Sessions destroyed a bipartisan bill aimed at paving the way for undocumented immigrants.

Opposed to the MAGA populists, the tech right wing includes Silicon Valley giants such as Peter Thiel and David Sachs. "They are all white South Africans... why do white South Africans comment on what happens in the United States?" Bannon once said.

Bannon wants the White House to implement a more comprehensive populist agenda. In an audio report titled "Bannon Fights for the Soul of MAGA" on July 1st, The New York Times reported that in Bannon's view, the three pillars of the MAGA movement are limiting free trade, restricting immigration, and ending "perpetual war." He believes these three pillars are essential to the development of the MAGA movement, and during Trump's second term, there were many threats to the MAGA agenda, including the tech right wing. Bannon stated that some Silicon Valley high-tech companies do not create jobs for Americans but significantly reduce job positions. He also mentioned that after Trump won key swing states like Pennsylvania in November last year, most Silicon Valley elites only began supporting the Republicans, "they (Silicon Valley elites) are neither MAGA nor conservative."

Qiang Ge, Director of the School of Marxism at Nanjing University of Science and Technology and a specially appointed professor, told the Global Times that the tech right wing can be classified as MAGA supporters, as they share the fundamental goal of "making America great again." Zhang Tengjun, Deputy Director of the American Studies Institute at the China Institute of International Problems, told the Global Times that there is a relationship of interest alliances between MAGA populists and the tech right wing. In the 2024 U.S. election, both sides are united based on common goals: First, the tech right wing hopes to use the strength of MAGA, especially the conservative forces represented by Trump, to eliminate or overturn the policies dominated by the Democratic Party, which are characterized by neoliberalism, believing that these policies have hindered technological development. Second, the tech right wing itself is becoming more conservative in its ideology, aligning with MAGA to some extent. Finally, MAGA populists need financial support from the tech right wing to achieve their electoral strategies.

According to reports from The Atlantic and other media outlets, both the MAGA populists and the tech right wing believe that the United States is becoming increasingly weak, overly concerned with the needs of the vulnerable, sacrificing the interests of the most productive groups. During last year's U.S. election, these two groups easily reached consensus on the goal of Trump's victory. MAGA populists are happy that Musk promotes right-wing ideologies on his social media platform X. At the same time, the tech right wing opposes the diversity policies promoted by the Democrats in various areas, which coincides with the stance of MAGA.

"The differences go beyond trade and immigration issues"

"The 'War of the Gods' within the MAGA camp," according to a report by Vanity Fair magazine, Trump expanded the MAGA camp into a "political big tent" that accommodates various people, but the alliance between the tech right wing and the populists is "the most fragile." The latter hopes to dismantle the influence that tech giants exert on the government through money. The Washington Post stated that the MAGA movement is an alliance of various forces, and its core leader, Trump, is relatively weak in terms of ideological concepts, so members who came together due to him inevitably have ideological conflicts.

As early as the end of last year, Bannon and Musk clashed over H-1B visas. According to the Australian "Dialogue" news website, the Silicon Valley elite represented by Musk have clearly expressed their position, wanting to increase the number of technical worker visas to bring more technical talents to the United States. This stance of expanding H-1B visas enraged the MAGA populists. Bannon mocked the H-1B visa program as a "total scam." The Washington Post stated that Monot, co-founder of the San Francisco fintech investment firm "Better Tomorrow Ventures," said it was the first time the public saw a split between the MAGA right wing and the tech right wing.

On the issue of tariffs, the MAGA populists and the tech right wing also have different stances. According to a report by Deutsche Welle in April, facing market turbulence and public dissatisfaction caused by the U.S. "reciprocal tariffs," Musk publicly expressed opposition, not only proposing the idea of establishing a zero-tariff free trade area between Europe and the United States, but also directly criticizing Navarro for "not making any contributions." The Business Insider website stated that when the U.S. tariff policy caused stock market volatility in April, Prete, a senior advisor to Bensons, called Bannon to discuss Bensons' remarks to the press regarding calming the market outside the White House. At that time, Bannon expressed support for Bensons.

According to a report by The Atlantic, the MAGA populists want to prioritize and help traditional American core families on economic issues, even if it means sacrificing some business interests of American companies. The tech right wing, on the other hand, wants a deregulated economic environment to increase their profits. The MAGA populists want the U.S. to return to what they consider a stable and prosperous pre-internet era, while the tech right wing wants to lead a bold, global-oriented new economy. The Washington Post also mentioned that in recent months, with the tightening of international student visa policies and cuts to university research funding threatening tech talent, a new fault line has emerged between the MAGA populists and the tech right wing.

The American magazine "New Lines" believes that the growing differences between the MAGA populists and the tech right wing go beyond trade and immigration issues, extending to sovereignty, administrative theory, and the will of the people. The article cites an example where Musk had a conflict with Secretary of State Rubio on March 9th, revealing the ambiguous role of Musk in the "Department of Government Efficiency" and how it conflicted with the roles of prominent Republicans like Rubio.

Concerning the future of Trumpism?

According to a report by the political news website "Politico," after the disputes between the MAGA populists and the tech right wing, U.S. Vice President Vance tried to position himself as a mediator between the two sides. Vance stated that the differences between the two factions are not as serious as external observers think. "The idea that tech people and populists will inevitably clash is wrong," Vance said at a technology summit hosted by a venture capital company owned by tech right winger Anderson. After decades of deindustrialization in the U.S., the current administration's agenda, including tariffs and immigration restrictions, aims to create an environment where innovation and reindustrialization can complement each other.

It is worth noting that those who have recently clashed with the MAGA populists represented by Bannon are mainly Musk. Although some Silicon Valley elites have expressed support for Musk, many tech right wing figures have remained silent in related disputes. According to a report by The Washington Post, although ideological differences put pressure on the political alliance between the tech right wing and the MAGA, the policies implemented by the current U.S. government overall benefit Silicon Valley. Peter Thiel, along with others, founded the data analytics company Palantir, which signed a multi-billion-dollar contract with the Pentagon. In May this year, the White House facilitated dozens of billion-dollar deals between AI companies in the Middle East and U.S. businesses and revoked the executive order set by the Biden administration to impose safeguards on artificial intelligence. These actions have won the support of the tech industry. Additionally, the tech right wing has placed their own people in key positions within the U.S. government, including Michael, a former Uber executive recently confirmed for a senior position at the Pentagon.

Although the tech right wing and the MAGA populists have differences, the former understands that they can gain many benefits by staying in this alliance. The tech community also realizes that loyalty is important in the eyes of the current U.S. government. However, some supporters of Musk say they are confused about the future of the alliance between the MAGA populists and the tech right wing. "Musk's presence here is very meaningful to me," said an anonymous Silicon Valley tech executive.

Some views suggest that the differences between the MAGA populists and the tech right wing are not just ideological conflicts between the two sides, but also a power struggle concerning the future of Trumpism. The American magazine "New Lines" believes that the deepening rift between the two sides may determine the future of the Republican Party. The Australian "Dialogue" news website also states that, as many experts have pointed out, Trump tends to think in terms of transactions rather than ideology. He tends to make decisions based on public opinion surveys rather than principles. Qiang Ge told the Global Times that although there are divisions within Trump's inner circle, this will not have a significant impact on U.S. foreign policy for now, as Trump has absolute control over the Republican camp.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7522620266044850714/

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