Amidst the swirl of political upheaval, a rift has emerged within right-wing circles involving none other than tech titan Elon Musk. The once lauded figure in conservative spheres is now facing backlash and rejection from prominent voices on the far right.
The saga began when Laura Loomer, a well-known far-right activist, found herself embroiled in a Twitter controversy. After regaining control of her account, she wasted no time in expressing her gratitude to Elon Musk for his role in reinstating her access. This public display of support marked the beginning of what seemed like a harmonious relationship between the two.
However, fast forward to the present day, and Ms. Loomer’s tune has changed dramatically. Alongside a cadre of influential right-wing personalities who have also benefited from increased visibility on X – formerly known as Twitter under Musk’s ownership – she is now sounding the alarm about Musk’s perceived sway over President-elect Donald J. Trump.
In a surprising turn of events, figures such as Charlie Kirk and Stephen K. Bannon have taken issue with Musk’s actions and policy decisions. Batya Ungar-Sargon, the conservative opinion editor at Newsweek, didn’t mince words when she labeled Musk as a
“shill”
who suppresses dissenting voices within his domain.
Moreover, Mike Davis, an attorney closely associated with Trump, directly called out Musk on social media urging him to
“stay in your lane.”
Their discontent stemmed from X’s controversial measures to suspend accounts critical of Musk and block articles that shed negative light on him under the guise of terms-of-service violations.
To make matters worse for Musk’s standing among conservatives, he recently courted further controversy by publicly criticizing Nigel Farage through his X platform—an action that did not sit well with many supporters of Mr. Trump.
The fallout from these incidents has significantly eroded the once strong support base that backed Musk during his vocal endorsement of Trump’s presidential bid. Some erstwhile proponents now feel disillusioned and fear that their own political agenda might take a backseat to Musk’s evolving priorities.
As tensions simmer and divisions deepen within this unexpected clash between tech influence and political ideologies, it remains to be seen how Elon Musk will navigate this turbulent terrain where allies become adversaries at an alarming pace.
