In recent weeks, many were surprised to read a bold headline about Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s support of the right-wing Nazi extremist group in Germany: AfD, or the Alternative for Germany. Additionally, during the presidential inauguration, Musk performed what appeared to many to be a Nazi salute not once, but twice, then proceeded to deny the accusations in the aftermath.
Over the years, Musk’s unfiltered support of sexism, anti-semitism, transphobia and even conspiracy theories have been the cause for hundreds of hours of speculation as to how he’s successfully avoided repercussions.
This trend of not experiencing the impacts of your actions is dangerous in the long term — repeated actions like getting involved in other countries’ elections (as Russia has done in the U.S.) could be detrimental to democracy and threaten the delicate balance of peace in the world. Specifically, if Musk suffers no consequences for his recklessness and craziness, it will no doubt embolden other irrational actors to follow his lead, further deepening the nation’s dysfunction.
Then there is the matter of his, at best, unconventional personal life and choices.
“Doing my best to help the underpopulation crisis,” Musk said, on the subject of his 12 children. “A collapsing birth rate is the biggest danger civilization faces by far.”
Specifically, Musk houses his children and various exes in a $35 million estate in Austin, Texas, a setup that is frequently described as being like a “cult.”
Musk has also been accused of using illegal drugs while at work: LSD, cocaine, ecstasy, mushrooms, and ketamine specifically. As per government regulation, described by NDTV, “any form of illegal drug usage would violate corporate regulations at both SpaceX and Tesla, in addition to breaking federal contracts.”
Together with his personal life, Musk is enabled because people aren’t taking him as seriously because of his past ventures: His internet meme support of the crypto “Dogecoin” followed by his purchase of Twitter (now referred to as “X”) and the many memes he frequently posts.
These unserious posts mixed with the serious ones make it difficult for Americans to distinguish when he really means what he says. This is also problematic because Musk could potentially wave away any accusations, saying he was just “joking.”
In September, Musk even “joked” about assassinating Vice President Kamala Harris, a statement that was little heard about on the wide news, thanks to reduced media coverage.
With Donald Trump reclaiming the nation’s highest office, Musk is now chair of the newly founded DOGE, or the new Department of Government Efficiency. Musk hopes to leverage business tactics with biotechnology entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and downsize the government.
It’s unclear as to what Musk is decisively planning for the future — from his aspirations to go to Mars to the humanoid Tesla bot to just how he plans to achieve true government efficiency, Musk’s vision of a tech-centered, easy future has captured the attention of gullible Americans, many of whom find him relatable and idealistic.
But as Musk said himself, “Don’t delude yourself into thinking something’s working when it’s not, or you’re gonna get fixated on a bad solution.”
We can only wait — and hope the results of his actions truly benefit everyday Americans instead of the top 1%.