Following the emergence of news about a dispute at the White House involving members of President Trump’s cabinet who questioned Elon Musk’s influence over their departments, one of the president’s close allies, Stephen K. Bannon, quickly added his voice to the fray.
Mr. Bannon, who has depicted Mr. Musk as an outsider, calling him a “parasitic illegal immigrant” and “a truly evil person,” suggested that the world’s richest individual was burdening Mr. Trump.
“I don’t want to describe him as an anchor or a lodestone,” Mr. Bannon commented on his show “War Room” on Friday, which is followed closely by numerous Trump allies, including the president himself. “It’s not quite that yet, but the trend is starting — it’s beginning to impact everyone.”
The ongoing tension between Mr. Bannon and Mr. Musk highlights a significant conflict within Mr. Trump’s Make America Great Again movement. This conflict places individuals like Mr. Bannon, who advocate for a more populist approach, against ultrawealthy figures like Mr. Musk, who hold influential positions in the president’s circle.
Mr. Trump has expressed his desire to keep both men and their supporters within his movement, yet Mr. Bannon’s outspoken criticism of Mr. Musk has caught the president’s attention. In mid-February, Mr. Trump reportedly suggested to Mr. Bannon that he should cease his assaults on Mr. Musk and arrange for a private meeting with him, according to two sources familiar with the remarks.
That meeting has yet to take place, and it remains uncertain when or if it will happen.
However, Mr. Trump’s initiative to mediate between the two men, which has not been previously disclosed, indicates the president’s recognition that Mr. Bannon wields considerable influence over crucial segments of the MAGA base.
Mr. Bannon has been advocating for populism since the emergence of the Tea Party in 2010, which began reshaping the Republican Party. He and his followers perceive Mr. Musk as an opportunist lacking true commitment to the MAGA movement, primarily looking to promote his own interests.
Yet, Mr. Bannon’s vision for the movement is not without its critics, particularly due to its association with right-wing nationalism, which he has proudly labeled as a “badge of honor.” “Let them call you racists,” Mr. Bannon declared at a far-right event in France in 2018. “Let them call you xenophobes. Let them call you nativists.”
Mr. Musk, who had been critical of Trump for a significant period before becoming one of his major supporters, seems to have given little consideration to the MAGA movement and its trajectory. At times, he has expressed private irritation regarding Mr. Bannon’s criticisms, as per individuals familiar with the situation. However, he has rarely engaged with Mr. Bannon directly. “Bannon is a great talker, but not a great doer,” Mr. Musk remarked on his platform X last month. “What has he accomplished this week? Nothing.”
In response, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated: “We do not discuss private conversations that may or may not have occurred. President Trump is excited about DOGE’s significant achievements under Elon Musk, and he will continue to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse within our federal government for the American public.”
A spokesperson for Mr. Musk did not reply to a request for comment.
Mr. Bannon’s critiques appear to be motivated by the need for attention, although his supporters argue he is advocating for what he perceives as the soul of the MAGA movement. Many view him as a potential candidate for the presidency in 2028, noting he placed second in the Conservative Political Action Conference’s straw poll for the 2028 Republican primary last month, although trailing behind Vice President JD Vance.
“Steve is looking ahead,” remarked Raheem Kassam, a close Bannon associate and editor-in-chief at The National Pulse, a right-wing news platform.
“He’s peering into the future and saying, ‘Oh no, there’s an atheistic, amoral, C.C.P.-aligned, unaccountable foreigner who could become the head of the MAGA movement at some point,’” Mr. Kassam expressed, referring to the Chinese Communist Party, “and I think he’s justified in voicing his concerns in the way he has.”
For the time being, however, the MAGA movement remains centered around personalities, primarily revolving around whatever Mr. Trump desires, despite inherent contradictions. Over the last decade, as he has taken control of the Republican Party, Mr. Trump has steered the quasi-populist movement, amalgamating various factions and ideologies, many in conflict with each other.
Mr. Bannon served as chief strategist during Mr. Trump’s initial term until a contentious split in 2017, but he has been one of the staunchest proponents of the false claim that the 2020 election was stolen from Mr. Trump. This has granted him credibility with some of the supporters Mr. Trump needs for his success, as well as with Mr. Trump himself.
Additionally, Mr. Bannon has evident ideological clashes with Mr. Musk, particularly on immigration matters. Mr. Bannon strongly opposes Mr. Musk’s backing for H-1B visas that permit high-skilled individuals to work in the U.S. He has cautioned that billionaires like Mr. Musk and other tech executives, many of whom previously supported Democrats before endorsing Mr. Trump, may forsake the MAGA movement.
“Bannon has been a staunch conservative his entire life and holds these fundamental beliefs with great conviction,” stated Barry Bennett, a Republican strategist who collaborated with Mr. Trump during his first presidential campaign alongside Mr. Bannon. “He is naturally suspicious of newcomers who lack the pedigree he possesses.”
In certain respects, Mr. Musk emerged unexpectedly as a fervent supporter of Mr. Trump.
Throughout Mr. Trump’s first term, Mr. Musk held an extensive list of critiques. He privately criticized Mr. Trump’s tariff strategies, his fixation on coal mines over gigafactories, and his stringent immigration policies. More generally, Mr. Musk condemned those he felt had adopted a tribal approach to politics, as per individuals aware of his comments.
In 2023, Mr. Musk indicated he would back Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s presidential campaign before changing his stance as Mr. DeSantis’s campaign faltered. Last month, Mr. Musk stated on social media that he cherished Mr. Trump “as much as a straight man can love another man.”
Among the MAGA loyalists, both men have substantial followings. Mr. Bannon is regarded as one of the movement’s original content creators, beginning his journey at Breitbart News and continuing through “The War Room.” On the other hand, Mr. Musk has won favor within the movement through his overhaul of X, formerly known as Twitter, turning it into a hub for conservative activity.
“Musk acts as the volume control,” Mr. Bennett remarked. “You can express ideas now on Twitter and reach millions rather than just tens of thousands as you could a decade ago. He has made that possible for us. Many in the right-wing movement are very dependent on this platform to share their content and are immensely grateful to him for facilitating that.”
The mutual admiration for both figures was prominently displayed last month during the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, where Mr. Musk and Mr. Bannon received enthusiastic applause.
“Both are incredibly popular within the conservative movement,” noted Mercedes Schlapp, who served as Mr. Trump’s director of strategic communications during his first term and is married to Matt Schlapp, the chairman of the conference. “They were both warmly welcomed at CPAC, where they set aside their differences and praised the president’s achievements.”
Mr. Musk made a surprise appearance at the conference, wielding a chainsaw and wearing a black MAGA hat rather than the traditional red one. (He referred to himself as “dark, gothic MAGA.”) In his CPAC discussion, Mr. Musk admitted to previously being “politically neutral,” but leaning Democratic. He explained that he switched to supporting Trump “when I realized I was a fool,” citing issues like cancel culture and assaults on personal freedoms.
Mr. Bannon addressed the audience right after Mr. Musk but refrained from direct confrontation. Instead, he lauded Mr. Musk, referring to him as “Superman.” He also pointedly noted that future history books “won’t remember me, Elon Musk, Tucker Carlson, or Sean Hannity.”
“They’re going to remember two things: Donald Trump and MAGA, OK?” he asserted.
In an interview with The New York Times last month, Mr. Bannon expressed that he and Mr. Musk possess fundamental differences.
“He’s still not a populist nationalist; he’s a globalist,” Mr. Bannon opined about the tech billionaire. “There’s a divide between us that is likely irreconcilable.”
As for Mr. Musk, his political inclinations for the future remain uncertain. However, one thing is clear: Born in South Africa, he is ineligible to seek the presidency — a fact Mr. Trump has publicly acknowledged.
