By Patricia Johnson
Elm Staff Writer
Billionaire Elon Musk has become a significant and influential figure in national politics despite not being an elected official.
According to BBC, “He appeared at several Republican rallies in the run-up to the election,” where he raised millions of dollars to help the political action committee re-elect President Trump. Musk owns X (formerly Twitter), Tesla, and SpaceX, and is advancing human brain chip trials at Nueralink. On his app, X, he has voiced his support for President Trump in numerous posts.
At President Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, Musk made a gesture resembling the Nazi salute, which debuted in 1930s Nazi Germany as a way to heil Adolf Hitler.
The salute is currently illegal in modern-day Germany, Austria, Slovakia, and numerous other places due to its history as a hate symbol and connection to the Nazi party.
Both Musk and his supporters have defended the gesture, citing social awkwardness due to Musk’s autism diagnosis. Following the incident, Musk took to X and posted a series of Nazi-related puns instead of attempting to explain the gesture.
Charlie Kirk, a pro-Trump influencer, wrote on X that “people are so thirsty for controversy and racism,” mocking those who raised concern over the gesture.
Either way, he is spreading hateful ideology by debating and fighting with these claims and making that ideology more mainstream.
While Musk has achieved success as an entrepreneur, his tyrannical behavior, lack of respect, and problematic thinking indicate that he is not an appropriate role model for leadership.
According to CNN, Musk contributed at least $260 million to President Trump’s campaign, which “makes him one of the largest single political underwriters of a presidential campaign and underscores the outsized influence of the world’s wealthiest person on this year’s election.”
Following the election, President Trump selected Musk to head the new Department of Government Efficiency, allowing Musk even more influence and power in the American Government.
Musk, who continuously echoes President Trump’s views and platform, has made a significant and consequential impact on American politics.
Using his influence, Musk has disparaged the LGBTQ+ community, furthered extreme right-wing talking points, and now has a position in a newly created government organization in spite of his inexperience and lack of decorum.
These unethical actions by Musk prove him to be unfit for any government role as he lacks leadership, the basis of trust, and realistic business goals. Elon Musk keeps being rewarded for his questionable behavior, and his new-found involvement in the government may lead to more harm than good.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Photo Caption: Elon Musk is a controversial and problematic figure in today’s political climate.