Billionaire Elon Musk was riding high: the richest man in the world and confirmed First Buddy of the President of the United States. But most importantly for an immigrant from South Africa, he was included in the inner circle that makes decisions on the most important issues of America, and the world – a circle of two, himself and Donald J. Trump, he believed.
His exceptional antennae may have picked up some signal, before the super nova exploded in the White House, that things did not seem to be as he thought or anticipated. But the super nova confirmed his suspicion. In front of staff members, a cabinet secretary who is supposed to fawn all over him – First Buddy holds the same status as the One he is buddy with – shouted to his face “fuck you” – not once, not twice but three times. He was awakened to the stark-naked fact that he had never been accepted. He was a foreigner. Worse, he has never belonged to the Trump orbit, let alone the Circle-of-Two.
He feels he has been played, used. For a man who single-handedly and ACCURATELY sent rockets and space crafts into space, a feat not even the venerable Boeing can do, a man who looked down on everyone including the president of the United States, his ego is torn big time. Maybe he is angry at himself, too. The genius engineer suddenly becomes aware that he is, politically, a novice.
That, figuratively speaking, kills him, not Tesla losing subsidies or the disgusting abomination Big Beautiful Bill.
He must have been feeling that he had joined a political Sam Peckinpah’s Wild Bunch in a wild chaotic journey, a slow-motion traverse into darkness that he willingly and wholeheartedly devoted a huge portion of his fortune and his invaluable personal time in order to be a part of its mission to restore the White Supremacy that he knew as a young boy in South Africa. Presumably, the admission of White South African immigrants into the U.S. had something to do with Mr. Musk. If in fact it was, at the end of June 2025, a grand total of 68 White South Africans having been admitted is undoubtedly a great insult to the man who was used to huge numbers.
That was the root cause of his recent outbursts.
One should never take anything said, or done, by a man of Mr. Musk’s caliber
(in terms of brain power as well as fortune) lightly. As the owner of a social media outlet and hi-tech companies which routinely collect data, and leader of DOGE, his ability to gather information is immense and deep. The posts by Mr. Musk about the Epstein File and that “without me Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House, and the Republicans would be 51/49 in the Senate” is eerie as the 51/49 is so particular.
It may not be a rant. What did he do, and how, to help Mr. Trump and the Republicans to win the races beside contribution of money to MAGA’s PACs? What facts does he have to support his allegation of the potential losses of TWO Republican Senators to the Democrats without his help? Was his assertion that the president was in the Epstein file true? How does he know that?
Different but related questions: Does the president’s warning to Mr. Musk not to “defect” to the DP carry any real threat to the billionaire and how such threat can be carried out? If so, does it aim at nipping in the bud any attempt to reveal any hidden secrets?
The Trump era has introduced into in American politics and society all kinds of anomaly, but this must be a first that a former employee (albeit temporary) of the President of the United States seemingly publicly blackmails him. But considering his emotional state, his outburst was most likely not blackmailing but shooting from the hip, a Pike Bishop charging into a courtyard in Mexico blazing guns for revenge, in blind rage, unthinking.
What is the next move for Mr. Musk? The president has inadvertently given him ideas. He warns Mr. Musk not to defect to the other side, meaning the Democratic Party. That actually is not a bad choice. The Republic has stood on two legs and maintained its stability since its founding with that reliable makeup. Presently, one leg is crippled and the other is like the proverbial bull in a China (cups and dishes) shop. Repairing and propping the crippled one up is a crucial undertaking, worthy of the talent of someone like Mr. Musk. Switching his help to the Democratic Party is not only recommended and commendable but could turn out to be one of the best achievements coming from his genius brain and fortune.
The government must pay close attention to the extent of Mr. Musk’s control and fielding of space technology before making threats of consequences against him or his companies. SpaceX is the only American company currently providing America with space ability while waiting for the old traditional money guzzling space companies to figure out how to shoot a rocket into space without burning it up in mid air or flying a spacecraft to the space station and returning it back to earth without fatal leaking fuel.
Since President Trump was voted back into power, unpredictability seems to have followed him into the White House, and the country has not had a dull moment during the 140 days into his four-year presidency.
There may be too much excitement for the good health of the country.
JOHN P. LE PHONG (This article appears on Facebook, X, and thelephongjournal.com)
