With his unabashed support for Donald Trump, Elon Musk is not just backing the former president’s bid for the White House but also positioning himself to assert his influence on the world stage. At a recent Trump rally in Pennsylvania, Musk made a high-energy appearance, sparking a wave of memes and significantly boosting engagement on X, the social media platform he owns.
The day after the rally, Musk continued to embrace his provocative persona in an interview with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, making light of serious topics, including the safety of Vice President Kamala Harris. “If (Trump) loses, I’m fucked,” Musk quipped, drawing laughter from the audience.
Musk is fully committed to Trump as the U.S. election heats up, having invested tens of millions into Trump’s campaign. He is anticipated to play a significant role in a potential second Trump administration, where Trump has suggested that Musk would help dismantle government bureaucracy and eliminate civil service positions.
Analysts attribute Musk’s dramatic shift to the right to various influences, including his upbringing in apartheid-era South Africa, which some argue has shaped his views on immigration and demographic shifts. Musk often expresses concerns about undocumented immigration, echoing the “Great Replacement” theory, which suggests that a demographic change threatens the fabric of society—a sentiment rooted in the fears that marked his childhood in South Africa.
In his own words, Musk seems to reflect a mentality shaped by the turbulent racial dynamics of 1980s South Africa, where he perceived a looming threat of violence against the white population. This complex backdrop informs Musk’s current political engagements and his alignment with Trump’s agenda.