In the latest installment of “The Worst Person You Know Just Made a Good Point,” Steve Bannon recently called Elon Musk a “truly evil person” with no real ideology other than hoarding and protecting his own wealth. Speaking to the Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera, Bannon he said “Stopping him became a personal issue for me,” and he insisted that Musk would be removed from Trump’s inner circle by Inauguration Day.
Bannon is, to put it as generously as possible, a racist, misogynistic, anti-democratic asshat who has failed at almost everything he’s ever done (with the exception of getting Trump into office, which, to be honest, is a pretty big one in the win column there). But he also has a pretty insightful read on Musk — perhaps because no one can spot a charlatan like another charlatan — so let him cook for a moment.
in interviewBannon claims that the only reason Musk befriended Trump was to protect his piles of money. “He will do anything to make sure that any of his companies are protected or that he has a better job or that he makes more money,” Bannon said. “His amassing wealth and then – through wealth – power: that’s what he’s focused on.” He claimed that Musk had no ideological stance to speak of, only a “sole goal” to “become a trillionaire,” and called him a proponent of “techno-feudalism on a global scale.” He also said he expected Musk to retire easily, saying, “He’s not going to fight. He has the maturity of a little boy.”
Bannon and Musk appear headed for a head-to-head clash as the second Trump administration nears its start date. Musk, who currently serves as chief of staff in the role once held by Bannon, is still building his so-called “Department of Government Efficiency,” according to a new New York Times report. While Musk likes to act like DOGE is already a real agency on Twitter—giving it a gray tick labeled “government” and all—the group apparently exists primarily in Signal’s conversations with Silicon Valley elites.
Musk is reportedly asking tech executives who have expressed interest in getting their hands dirty in government to serve six six-month terms, unpaid, working 80 hours a week — basically Musk’s ideal arrangement for anyone in his employ. Those willing to do so (the “unpaid” part was a non-starter for most, according to the NYT) will be embedded in the agency and tasked with making recommendations on how to improve operations and cut costs.
It is yet to be seen what the real DOGE will be in the end. Trump has said he will continue to create the group, although it will be toothless—capable of giving recommendations but little more. And the latest gossip in Trump world is that the president-elect is sick of Musk hanging around so much. He appears on Kara Swisher’s podcastNew York Times reporter Maggie Haberman recently stated, “Musk seems more willing to irritate Trump than many other people and less concerned about what that might mean,” describing their partnership as a “strained relationship” with “potential to become even more.”
If Bannon wants to push Musk out the window, it sure seems like Musk is trying to get his head out of it. But it’s hard to predict where Trump will let his loyalties fall. Bannon has already struck one blow in the MAGA civil war. During The argument for the H-1B visa who saw Musk and the techno-brothers defend the tool to attract skilled immigrants, Bannon sat on the other side, arguing that “the entire immigration system has been rigged by the tech masters.” (His real objection comes from his the racist belief that there are too many Asians in the technology industry and that undermines “civil society” but Bannon is good at reframing his positions to try to fill the moment.)
Musk won that fight, with Trump he sided with Musk and said that he was always in favor of encouraging talent to come to America. But the reality is that Musk’s usefulness to Trump is coming to an end. He happily took his money while Musk pushed hard for Trump’s candidacy, but it’s unclear whether Musk can still prove more useful than annoying in the real Oval Office. Bannon may be on the periphery now, but he has a real one the ability to survive like a cockroach. It’s a real shame that one of them has to win. Either way, the rest of us lose.