On the account of Donald Trump on X/Twitter, a new post appeared on Monday – a promo video for his presidential election campaign. It has been just over a year since he last published something on the platform. Then there was talk of an arrest photo from Georgia together with the text “electoral influence don’t give up”. Trump was banned from the platform after the storming of the Congress building in 2021. Elon Musk reopened the account after he bought the platform – which he renamed from Twitter to X. At 02.00 Norwegian time, Musk held a live conversation with Trump on X. This is one of several promos which is spread on social media. Photo: Screenshot / X From Clinton to Trump If you have only followed Elon Musk’s public statements in the last couple of years, and especially on his own X account, there is a good chance that you have been exposed to a number of controversial opinions. A frequent recurring theme is his intense displeasure with anything he considers “woke”, and recently he has been accused of spreading extremist conspiracy theories surrounding the recent stabbings in England. Musk has also publicly expressed his support for presidential candidate Donald Trump, and has donated large sums to a PAC supporting Trump’s election campaign. But it has not always been this way. Musk himself has stated that he has previously voted for both Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden over Trump in previous elections. The man who today does not recognize his own child because she is trans, has previously expressed support for queer people. Although Musk is negative about the use of pronouns, he still expresses support for trans people in this post. Photo: Screenshot / X – It seems that he has been radicalized – It is particularly in connection with Trump in recent years, where Musk has gone in the direction of more and more conspiracy-oriented attitudes, says adviser at Civita and US expert Eirik Løkke. Eirik Løkke is a consultant at Civita and has been referred to by Stavanger Aftenblad as “all of Norway’s USA expert”. Photo: Hanna Johre He has followed Musk’s political development over the years, but believes it is difficult to pinpoint what has been the triggering factor for the change in Musk’s attitudes. – It seems that he has been radicalized in recent years. Musk himself has pointed to his daughter’s gender reassignment as one of the reasons for his political shift. – My son Xavier is dead. Killed by the “woke” brain virus, Musk stated in an interview with Jordan Peterson, published by the Daily Wire. Musk and his daughter have fought a public battle in social media, where Musk has longed about his daughter’s upbringing, while she has categorized large parts of his stories as lies. For obvious reasons, the daughter has distanced herself from her father, who has repeatedly expressed negative attitudes towards transgender people. Jordan Peterson is a Canadian psychologist who has built up a large following on the internet. He got his breakthrough in 2016 after criticizing political correctness on YouTube. Photo: Mark Peterson / Redux Løkke does not rule out that the radicalization of Musk may also have been influenced by his own time spent on X. – That is certainly part of the explanation. It is difficult to understand what the rational basis for these opinions should be. Small X effect for Trump predicts But, how much will this session between Trump and Musk have for the election campaign? Little, says Løkke. – The best scenario for Trump is if he finds out more about his economic agenda and policies. At worst, it could backfire on him. Talking point that the ethnicity of Kamala Harris is seen as a potential pitfall. Løkke considers Elon Musk to be so incorporated into the Trump sphere that this interview will have little effect beyond the already established follower base belonging to the previous president. Published 12.08.2024, at 21.49 Updated 13.08.2024, at 05.28
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Elon Musk supports Trump: – Seems like he has been radicalized
