U.S. President Donald Trump, in an interview with NBC News on Saturday, said there would be “serious consequences” if billionaire Elon Musk funds Democratic Party candidates to run against Republicans who vote for Trump’s sweeping tax-cut bill.
Trump declined to say what those consequences would be in the phone interview, and went on to add that he had not had discussions about whether to investigate Musk.
Asked if he thought his relationship with the Tesla and SpaceX CEO was over, Trump said, “I would assume so, yeah.”
The fact that a billionaire bought an election and can easily buy it again is so plain for all to see and it is repugnant. The rich shouldn’t be.
Musk is going to fund Republican candidates in the primaries, non-MAGA Republicans. The idea he would fund Dems is laughable. It will be interesting to see which way the Republicans go, money or MAGA.
If any Democrat accepts funds from Musk they’ve lost my vote.
If they take his money and then release a public statement calling him a nazi piece of shit who will never have any influence in their office I’d allow it. Bonus points if they promise Musk they won’t do that before doing it.
Otherwise, yeah. Musk needs to be a Kanye level pariah at least for what he’s done.
I’m mixed on this. I understand the sentiment, but it probably depends on who they’re running against. If it’s a red state and they’re running against a republican, I would be fine with them taking the money.
Just ignore the labels for a second- would you prefer to vote for the nazi-funded candidate?
Musk is a nazi, as evidenced by his nazi salute earlier this year.
Any democrat that accepts nazi money, it’s saying they’re fine with nazis, which makes them a nazi, because the only scum that’s fine with nazis, are other nazis.
You can’t condemn nazi behavior while taking money from nazis, and allowing them to support you. You tell them to fuck all the way off, because the only thing a nazi deserves is the comfort of a grave.
I see what you’re saying, but taking nazi money from a nazi to spend and then using it to do good in the world? It’s like an ethics trolley problem.
Taking nazi money by seizing his assets is how you go about using nazi money, not by accepting the support of a nazi. If you’re accepting the support of a nazi, you’re no better than conservatives currently accepting the support of nazis.
I feel like that’s the best option and you’re right. I just don’t see that happening in America now or in the near future. The next best option is to do what the other poster said and say they will not be bought and won’t be doing anything he asks before they take the money. Also, again, they’re not going against another democrat.
By accepting money from a nazi, they’re saying they can be bought by a nazi. It’s lobbying, and it’s why we file taxes for a return every year, why climate change is ignored, internet isn’t a utility, weed is federally illegal, and the fairness doctrine got chucked out the window.
I wouldn’t say I’d be “fine” with them taking the money under any circumstance. But it’s never going to lead me to voting for repugnacans either directly or indirectly through abstaining.
That’s what I’m afraid of, that this would lead people to vote 3rd party or republican. Republicans being split up would be great too.
I’d go so far as to say Musk donating to a democrat candidate may be done explicitly as a poison pill to reduce support from the base.
You can refuse donations. Or publicly disavow his support if it’s in the form of independently bought media.
Ah, so you’re fine with Republicans winning.
Ah, so you’re fine with nazis.
There is no line with centrists.
And you’re fine with nazis getting involved with the party? That’s some dumb fuck conservative double think.
You really strongly believe in Citizens United, I guess? A dollar means nothing. It’s something you exchange for goods and services. If Musk gives a dollar to a Democratic candidate, he’s simply empowering that candidate. It’s not some kind of evil spell that instantly contaminates the candidate.
Sheesh, no wonder American politics is such an irredeemable mess of authoritarianism.
Brother there’s no amount of lesser of two evils that lets you pick a Nazi. That’s a fucking Line in the Sand.
I’m not saying vote for Musk. I’m saying vote for a Democrat.
If they’re on musk’s payroll that’s who you’re really voting for. Not even mentioning the fact that if you’re taking Nazi money well…
So it’s trivial for Musk to decide who you vote for, then. You don’t care about the candidate’s position, just whose “team” he’s on.
It’s kind of pathetic watching Americans continue sabotaging their chances of getting out of authoritarian control even now. What will it take to end that purity spiral?
If you think voting for a guys who work for Nazis is how you get out of authoritarian control I don’t know what to tell you. Also musk isn’t the one deciding that there. The candidates are. If they show me that they’re Nazi sympathizers I’m not going to vote for them. If you find that to be a weird Line in the Sand for somebody then I find that really weird about you.
I’ll say it again my Line in the Sand is nazis. If you think that’s a purity test fine I’m comfortable with that. That’s one that I’m proud to have.
I’ll say it again my Line in the Sand is nazis.
Right. Mine too. And supporting the Republican candidate in the upcoming elections means you’re supporting the nazi candidate.
The US is a two party system. If you don’t vote for one, you’re tacitly supporting the other. That’s how Trump got into power. I have no sympathy for people who continue to perpetuate his power.
It’s a fine line to walk. We do not want to support anyone who freely gets in bed with Musk, but draw too hard a line and we end up with worse (see supporters of Palestine and Biden/Harris/Trump.)
centrists are fine with nazis because nazis aren’t progressives.
Because in a functional democracy, threatening opposition is encouraged and often leads to a healthy society. /s
I’m starting to think his goal might not be a healthy society.
I have young kids. They often say things like “if I were president, I would—“ and then say some borderline totalitarian nonsense like “make it illegal to put pickles on burgers” or some other thing that is self-focused and completely misunderstands the nature of the presidency.
Which is all to say that Trump holds the same view of the presidency that a five-year-old does. And he occupies the office. Awesome.
He said it himself:
When I look at myself in the first grade and I look at myself now, I’m basically the same. The temperament is not that different.
https://theweek.com/speedreads/575962/donald-trump-tells-biographer-hes-same-now-first-grade
Honestly he was probably better as a first grader because he hadn’t learned everything about how to be an unrelenting asshole yet
One of the few times I 100% believe him
Beginning to think he isn’t very honest, either.
Or a good businessman.
Trump doesn’t want to get blamed when Democrats start winning elections. If it happens Musk will gloat for credit and the finger pointers will say Trump should not have pissed off Musk.
I bet this is the right answer. D’s are already winning more.
I gotta say, I don’t think I can trust any candidate that takes money from this guy
I double dog dare you!
