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America did not elect Elon Musk. However, he is still acting as the De facto President of Donald Trump. Musk’s specific tax includes calling for regime change in the federal democracies. He has repeatedly said that only the Alternative for Germany (AfD) can save Germany in next month’s elections. He is calling for the end of Sir Keir Starmer’s Labor government in the UK. And he asked his 211mn X followers if “America should free the British people from their tyranny”. The consensus seems to be yes.
It would be an understatement to say that there is no example of such a relationship between the president of America and the richest man in the world. History gives no guidance on this kind of duet, let alone the money of one half of it openly shooting for the overthrow of allied governments. America’s billionaires – the Rockefellers, Vanderbilts and Carnegies – did not act like the presidents of their time. Nor was their fictional wealth comparable to Musk’s. JP Morgan was worth $49bn in today’s dollars. Henry Ford, who also had a soft spot for European fascism, was close to $200bn. Musk’s wealth more than doubled. Ford was not impressed by Franklin Roosevelt, during his time in the White House.
On the other hand, the past is full of incidents of America interfering in foreign politics. However, apart from the CIA’s postwar bag of tactics to keep communists from power in continental Europe, Washington’s meddling has alienated allies. The question facing governments in Berlin, London and perhaps soon Paris is how to respond to the new threat. Does Musk advocate for Trump? In that case, the west is as good as dead. Or are you testing the waters? That would give western capitals an opportunity to exploit the differences between Trump and Musk. Perhaps the answer is a combination of the two.
Just as important is what Musk doesn’t say. Like him attacks Germany and the UK with violenceMusk’s silence on Russia and China is even more telling. Musk has never spoken about political prisoners or against oppression in one of the autocracies. Yet he picks up Tommy Robinson, a far-flung British criminal serving his fifth prison sentence, as a prisoner of conscience. It’s safe to say that Musk is not motivated by giving aid to English children who have been attacked by male criminals who are mostly from Britain and Pakistan. Child abuse in the UK dates back more than two decades under the Conservative government. Musk had nothing to say at the time.
Ever since Labor came to power, the welfare of England’s children has suddenly become his obsession. He called Jess Phillips, a minister in the Starmer government, “a defender of rape and murder”. He also said that a quarter of a million British children are being systematically abused. You’d need an AI-scale polygraph to capture all of Musk’s content. At a rate of every few minutes, the speed of his announcements is only surpassed by their shock value. Nowhere has Musk expressed concern about it an estimated 20,000 children in Ukraine they were kidnapped from their homes and forced into Russian homes.
If this confusion was only Musk, Britain, Germany and others could handle it. The British public’s dislike of Musk limits his influence. Fewer than one in five British respondents view him favorably, according to a recent YouGov poll. Musk is also exalted by his ignorance. In calling for Nigel Farage to be removed as leader of the Right Reform UK party, he missed the fact that Reform is Farage’s vehicle. Musk’s call to King Charles to dissolve parliament reinforces questions about his lack of knowledge. Elected governments, not monarchs, decide when to call UK general elections. Musk’s influence on Germany – and its knowledge – can be even lower.
Musk’s silence on China is easy to understand. His company Tesla has a large operation where he does not want to take any risks. Trump’s default approach to the world is transactional; his China policy is still there. On the other hand, Musk magnifies Trump’s respect for Vladimir Putin’s Russia and disdain for Europe. It would be rash to think that Musk is just coasting. And this is not just about money. The Trump-Musk conflict over European liberal democracy is real. He shares Trump’s impatience to end the war in Ukraine on terms that would ultimately benefit Russia. AfD vows to end German support for Ukraine. Starmer increased British aid.
Therefore, the eastern part of the Atlantic alliance faces a journey without maps. The European tradition has always been to hope for the best. In this case, you should plan for the worst.
