Emily Ota | Writer
May 2, 2025
In recent months, billionaire Elon Musk has been attracting fresh attention and controversy surrounding his new political affiliation with the Trump administration. Musk reportedly spent a quarter of a billion dollars supporting Trump’s election campaign in 2024 and has been referring to himself as Trump’s “First Buddy” since then. From interesting hand gestures to insensitive tweets, Musk has been creating a foul image of himself in American politics.
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is a new federal commission created by Trump, in which Musk is at its helm. DOGE has already sparked questions due to its intense budget cuts to the USAID (United States foreign aid agency), and the Department of Education. By giving this job to Musk, Trump is enabling him to have control over much of the government and even Trump himself. While it is legal for the president to appoint workers to the White House, sophomore Evan Potwora claimed that it is “irresponsible of Trump to disregard our checks and balances” by employing Musk. In addition to that point, sophomore Luisa D’Acosta argued that since Musk is a billionaire, he “doesn’t understand the struggles of the average American and should not hold power to affect their lives.” Even though DOGE is just at its beginning, Americans are already starting to have their doubts.
At an event celebrating Trump’s inauguration, more controversy surrounding Musk developed at the sight of him mimicking what appeared to be a Nazi salute after his speech. As he “thanked the crowd,” Musk put forward his right arm with his palm down, the exact profile of a Nazi salute. While his outstretched arm could have been an awkward moment of enthusiasm, the action was successful in upsetting many Americans. Viewers argued with each other on what the gesture really meant, but no matter the intention, the salute most definitely stirred the pot. D’Acosta remarked that Musk’s “actions and the Republican Party’s support of them normalizes promoting fascism and dictatorial rule,” even if it was a mistake. The fascist symbol is representative of what could be the end of democracy for the United States during Trump’s term.
Another recurring theme is Musk posting questionable comments on social media platforms, especially X. Musk has been known to post concerning remarks on X that isolate or insult a lot of people with no forethought for the consequences. For example, in 2023, he responded to an anti-Semitic theory by calling it the “actual truth” (NDTV). While he apologized later for his actions, the post still raised eyebrows about Musk’s character. He has since posted disturbing things such as “Why do they want to kill Donald Trump? And no one is even trying to assassinate Biden/Kamala” following the assassination attempt on Trump at his rally in Pennsylvania (NDTV). There are countless other odd posts from Musk from the past up until now that reveal his twisted personality, which spell concern for the future unity of our nation.
However, some Americans have spoken out against Musk and his influence over the country. People are doing this in many ways, but one of the most common retaliations is the act of covering up a Tesla logo on a car or putting an “anti-Elon” sticker on Musk-made products. Potwora described the defiance as symbolism that “Americans are not letting the rich get richer through the government.” Though small, the act of covering up the brand of a corrupt billionaire shows how everyday citizens can still make a difference in the direction their country is heading.
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