Recently, with billionaire Elon Musk announcing the formation of a new political party in the United States, “The Party of America,” his relationship with President Trump has reached a new climax. Some American media have openly stated that their relationship has completely broken down into public discord. However, the role of Musk’s “Starlink” in the Texas flood disaster also revealed a subtle “symbiotic relationship” with the US government. A biographer of Trump commented: “We have not yet seen the end of this story.”
Unfollow! Musk “Cleans House” of 9 Trump Allies
Elon Musk conducted a round of cleanup actions on Twitter, unfollowing several close allies to the President of the United States, including Attorney General Pam Bondi, Speaker of the House Mike Pence, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, Energy Secretary Rick Perry, and Scott Pruitt, a staunch supporter of the “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) movement.
American political blogger Jennifer Welch:
Now he has unfollowed all MAGA accounts, totaling 1, 2, 3, 4… 9 accounts.
Disaster Relief! Starlink Service in Texas Flood Disaster by Musk
It is worth mentioning that Musk announced the establishment of the “Party of America” on the second day of Independence Day, July 4th, while Trump signed the “Bigger, Better, Faster” bill on this day.
Their approach of exploiting popular topics at specific moments almost mirrored each other.
However, on July 4th, which should have been a media focus for a major disaster, it was overlooked.
From the night of July 3rd to the early hours of July 4th, the central hilly area of Texas experienced continuous heavy rain for several hours. In Ker County, located in the state, rainfall reached about 245 millimeters during this period, and within just 45 minutes, the Guadalupe River’s water level surged nearly 8 meters, forming a fierce flood peak.
Disaster, disaster, very scary.
The federal government has initiated a “blame game”.
According to CNN, a source mentioned that Texas had applied for airborne imagery for search and rescue operations from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), but this crucial request was delayed due to the need for approval from Secretary of Homeland Security John F. Hogan.
Chris Hayes, host of MSNBC, asked:
What did Secretary Hogan do during that holiday weekend? He approved the dispatch of the FEMA urban search and rescue team to Texas only on Monday, July 7th, three days after the floods occurred.
It’s worth noting that in June this year, Secretary Hogan introduced a new rule requiring all contracts and funding over $100,000 to be approved by her personally before disbursement.
This move has been directed at Elon Musk, who previously led the “Government Efficiency Division”, known for his aggressive campaign against “financial fraud” within government departments.
In light of these developments, there is concern about whether the White House or President himself is worried about Musk’s efforts to cut back during his tenure as an advisor to the Government Efficiency Division, specifically regarding the reduction of funds for the National Weather Service.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki stated:
I believe I have already addressed this question. What I can tell you is that those offices are staffed adequately.
In The Guardian’s view, this seems to fall into a paradox: On one hand, Republicans praise the president for providing federal assistance; on the other hand, they deliberately avoid discussing the potential consequences of cutting expenses in the Government Efficiency Division and potentially dismantling FEMA.
CNN directly stated: The governance of disasters in the United States has fallen into a vicious cycle of blame game, forgetfulness, crisis, and more blame game.
“Both out of concern for emotions and strategic considerations”
On July 5th, Elon Musk’s “Starlink” announced on X that it had provided mini kits for search and rescue efforts in Texas affected by floods. This was done to ensure communication remained uninterrupted even in dead zones, providing free services to thousands of customers for a month.
Nayal Malik, a technology journalist, pointed out that Texas is the key business location for SpaceX and Tesla. Therefore, this action was driven by both emotional concern and strategic considerations.
At the same time, an undeniable fact is that despite recent splits between Musk and the Trump administration,
Elon Musk’s numerous projects still require government approval and support.
Today, Musk’s SpaceX technical team has rebuilt the disaster area’s communication infrastructure through the Starlink system.
The backers behind Starlink have long been deeply integrated with US government departments, leaving no one without their support.
This delicate “symbiotic relationship” also leaves room for future “capital shake-ups.”
Michael Wolf, a biographer of Trump:
I think we have not yet seen the end of this story.
Fake News! Musk Faces Massive “Counterfeit Registration”
On July 5th local time, Musk announced on social media platform X that he had established the “American Party.”
However, some analysts suggest that even the “American Party” logos circulating online are contributions from fans.
The distinctive features of the “American Party” have become increasingly apparent.
Just as Musk announced the establishment of the “American Party” and prepared to embark on a significant campaign, the Public Broadcasting Company in the United States noticed that his first competitors might not be political rivals but rather “copycats” who had registered their names.
According to data from the Federal Election Commission’s database, as of July 7th, numerous new party registration applications were received, including those for “American Party,” “Dog Party,” and “X Party.”
These seemingly popular names related to Musk were among them, yet the applicants were unrelated to Musk himself. In response, Musk has expressed a desire to combat fake news.