I don't think any thinking people are surprised at the break-up of the Trump-Musk bromance (although some of us thought it might take a little longer than it did). Or that the break-up is as nasty as it is. After all, these men are both narcissists who both think they are always right (and deserve to be able to buy whatever they want).
It has gotten so bad that Musk has threatened to start a new political party or support Democrats against Republicans in next year's election. I don't think the new party idea is viable. Musk is not nearly as popular as he seems to think he is. But the idea of Musk supporting Democrats is scary - especially to Democrats.
Let me be very clear in my advice to current and prospective Democratic office holders.
ELON MUSK IS NOT YOUR FRIEND! And neither is his money.
Thanks to his actions in the last few months, Musk has become toxic for most voters. He has seriously damaged many agencies in the government - to the extent that they are now struggling to meet their responsibilities to U.S. citizens.
His opposition to the GOP's "big beautiful bill" is not because of its damaging cuts to services needed by millions of Americans. It's because he doesn't think those cuts are large enough.
He still opposes moves that would actually help working people - like raising wages, making it easier to start and join a labor union, helping to pay the cost of child care, etc.
He is a racist who wants to preserve the white patriarchy.
He is corrupt. He tried to use his position at the White House to preserve and extend his government contracts - and he used it to try and force other countries to buy his Starlink system.
Any Democrat who accepts Musk's help in his/her campaign - or who just accepts money from the billionaire - risks tainting their own reputation with the Musk toxicity.
If Musk donates to a Democratic campaign, the campaign should return and publicly rebuke that donation. And the same goes for PACs and superPACs. They should refuse any and all Musk donations.
There is an old saying - The enemy of my enemy is my friend. That does not apply in this case, because embracing Musk would be perceived as embracing his ideas and beliefs - most of which are anathema to Democratic ideals.
And don't take sides in the Musk / Trump feud. It is evil corruption versus evil corruption. Democrats must oppose both.
The task for Democrats in the next election is to restore the belief that they support working men and women and support policies that will help them. Embracing a billionaire and/or accepting his money promotes the opposite perception.
Democrats don't need Musk or his money. What they do need is to reject him. That would be the ethical and politically smart thing to do.
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