Trump’s victory and Musk’s role: Politics and tech collide

• Nicholas Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic, analyzed Elon Musk’s shift to the political right and his significant role in supporting Trump’s election win, suggesting Musk’s partnership with Trump could greatly benefit his businesses, especially Tesla and SpaceX, by protecting his security clearance and bolstering his ventures in China.
• However, Thompson warned that Musk and Trump’s volatile personalities and differing agendas could lead to major conflicts, particularly around policies like electric vehicle subsidies and free speech, making their alliance one of the most unpredictable and compelling political dynamics to watch in the coming years.

The Atlantic CEO Nicholas Thompson has shared his thoughts on Donald Trump’s election victory, focusing on Elon Musk’s instrumental role in the race and what their alliance might mean for Musk’s businesses. Thompson, leading a publication that has ardently opposed Trump’s politics, analyzed Musk’s shift to the right, speculated on his motivations, and warned of potential friction between the two leaders in a video posted to LinkedIn.

Musk’s shift to the right

Thompson began by explaining Musk’s surprising turn toward the political right, a pivot that puzzled many Democrats familiar with his earlier support of progressive causes, like climate change and electrification. “Why did Elon shift to the right? This is a question that a lot of Democrats ask,” Thompson noted, before outlining several reasons behind Musk’s change. While Musk voted for Biden in the past, Thompson highlighted that “a lot of folks in Silicon Valley, Musk included, have a streak of libertarianism,” which led to their alignment with the Democrats during the Obama and Biden years but has now drawn them closer to conservative values. He pointed to an incident in 2021, when Biden held a summit on electric vehicles and failed to invite Musk. “There’s one person in the world who has improved the fate of electric vehicles,” said Thompson, referring to Musk’s pioneering work in the field. Being left out of that conversation, Thompson suggested, was a “trigger” for Musk’s shift, adding a personal dimension to his political transformation.

Nicholas Thompson, CEO at The Atlantic magazine.

Twitter as a right-leaning platform and political tool

A significant part of Musk’s influence, Thompson emphasized, came from his 2022 purchase of Twitter (now X), a move that radically reshaped the platform’s political landscape. “He purchased Twitter…then realizing as he kind of worked through the process that the path to take was to turn it massively to the right,” Thompson explained. By leveraging Twitter as a “platform for pushing political change,” Musk was able to “do something very different” than previous right-wing social media experiments like Parler and Truth Social. Thompson noted that new users on X are often funneled toward right-leaning accounts, with Musk himself a prominent figure in their feeds, adding that Musk has created a space where “it is much easier to thrive as a right-wing influencer.”

Financial gains and strategic benefits in a Trump administration

Now that Trump is back in office, Thompson sees enormous potential benefits for Musk’s businesses. For example, Musk’s favorable relationship with Trump might secure him crucial advantages in the realm of foreign policy, particularly regarding China, where Tesla’s market is extensive and valuable. “If Musk has a president he is close to, that is good for his businesses,” Thompson said, highlighting that the international dimension could prove crucial, especially as Musk also contends with security issues around his dealings with Russia and China. A Trump administration may enable Musk to keep his security clearance, which could be essential for the success of SpaceX’s government contracts. “He had huge financial incentives for [Harris] not to win,” Thompson added, further emphasizing the potential windfall for Musk’s ventures under Trump’s leadership.

A volatile partnership: Potential for clashes ahead

However, Thompson pointed to potential clashes between Musk’s libertarian beliefs and Trump’s populist agenda. While Musk’s views align with Trump on issues like deregulation, Thompson predicted “lots of clashes” ahead, noting that they may disagree on policies like electric vehicle subsidies, which are key to Tesla’s profitability. “These are two very curious, volatile people,” Thompson said. “Each like to be the most important person in the conversation,” which could result in friction as the two leaders try to assert their influence over each other. Thompson added that Musk’s focus on free speech may not always align with Trump’s political goals, saying, “The agenda Musk and other free speech flag carriers sort of on the right-wing tech pod…does not entirely overlap with the populist agenda that Trump ran on.”

Uncertain future as Musk navigates the political landscape

As for Musk’s potential role in a Trump administration, Thompson speculated that Musk would be a “crucial advisor” on topics like AI and China, but he hoped Musk’s input would prioritize “AI innovation and growth” rather than merely advancing his own corporate interests. “Who knows how it’s going to shake out,” he remarked, acknowledging the unpredictability of the partnership.

Thompson wrapped up his analysis with a final reflection: “This will be one of the most interesting stories to watch over the next four years.” For Musk, the stakes are immense, with opportunities to shape policy and expand his empire, yet risks abound as he navigates what could be a high-stakes, volatile partnership with one of the world’s most polarizing leaders.