Why the "President Elon Musk" mockery doesn't seem to bother Donald Trump

[marmar]

Why the "President Elon Musk" mockery doesn't seem to bother Donald Trump
Trump's fragile ego meets Elon Musk's hostile takeover

By Amanda Marcotte
Senior Writer
Published February 7, 2025 6:00AM (EST)


(Salon) In response to billionaire Elon Musk's unlawful takeover of the Treasury Department, about 1,000 citizens and elected Democrats gathered in Washington D.C. on Tuesday to protest. Demonstrators waved signs blasting "President Musk" or "King Elon," noting that no one had elected the Trump advisor to serve as the power behind the throne. This meme of "President Musk" has also spread rapidly on social media, with even Kamala Harris' former running mate, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, joking, "Elon Musk is a terrible president."

Unfortunately, Musk gets a kick out of this, because the man is a Bond villain minus the intelligence and coolness. Yet the narrative persists, in part, as an effort to raise awareness about what looks very much like a coup, but also in the misguided hope of driving a wedge between Musk and the man who technically is the president, Donald Trump. He may be the only man in the world whose snowflake-fragile ego surpasses Musk's. By pointing out that Musk is overshadowing him, the goal is to provoke narcissistic injury in Trump, causing him to lash out and kick the billionaire video game cheater out the door.

....(snip)....

To understand Trump's indifference, it helps to look back at the happiest time in his life: a reality TV stint pretending to be a successful businessman on NBC's "The Apprentice." Before becoming a reality TV host, Trump did try to make it as a real businessman, of course, but failed so spectacularly and often that he may qualify as the biggest business failure of all time. Leaked tax records show that he blew through the half-billion he inherited from his father, sold off huge chunks of his father's genuinely successful real estate business to pay off debts and went bankrupt multiple times.

....(snip)....

Trump learned a valuable lesson from this: It's way more fun to be the facsimile than the real thing. He barely showed up at the office in his first term, and clearly hated every minute of actual work. Whether they've explicitly discussed it or not, it appears he and Musk have a deal: One will do the annoying dirty work of illegally smashing up the federal bureaucracy, while the other pretends to be a president for the cameras and fanfare. Trump gets to sign papers and get his picture taken. He gets to do fun reality TV villain stuff, like threatening tariffs, but mostly not enacting them, because that would create consequences he doesn't want to deal with. As with being a fake businessman on "The Apprentice," being a fake president is much better than the real thing. He gets all the ego-fluffing and attention, while not having to think about stuff, much less work. ................(more)

https://www.salon.com/2025/02/07/why-the-president-elon-musk-mockery-doesnt-seem-to-bother-donald/

[tanyev]

1. I also think it would have bothered Trump a lot more 4 years ago than it does now.

He's definitely slipped farther down the cognitive ability scale.

[C_U_L8R]

2. They are each other's useful idiots

In a freaking vortex of dumbassery and theft.

[Ol Janx Spirit]

3. It seems obvious to me

that E-Loon is being set up perfectly as a scapegoat. Having people call him President Musk actually plays right into the Turnip's tiny hands and plans. I'm just kind of surprised no one else seems to see this coming--least of all Elon. He does not even seem to notice that while the President has immunity he does not, and he and his team are piling up violations for all kinds of things along they way that they just assume the Administration will not prosecute them for--but look who holds all of the cards in that scenario; and look who can throw you in jail at any moment if they are so inclined.... Sucker.... Best case scenario for Musk is that he is only blamed for smashing things the American people suddenly realize they really needed; while the worst is certainly unimaginable to the man that thinks he is better than anyone...ever.