The Great Unraveling, continued… How America’s most powerful alliance collapsed in 72 hours

Trump, Musk, and the $152 billion question: Can populism survive elite defection?

The spectacle that unfolded late this week between Donald Trump and Elon Musk represents more than a collision of egos. What we saw emerge from their respective social media platforms on Thursday was a seismic fracture in the foundation of America’s populist revival.

The repercussions threaten to scatter—across the battlefield of petty grievances and wounded pride—a center-right coalition that delivered victory last fall. Likewise, this public demolition of what once appeared an unshakeable alliance reveals the nature of movements built on personality rather than principle.

These things are fragile.

Once, thanks to social networking, these fault lines were shown denuded, members of Trump’s base are now left to wonder if his second term will deliver on The Donald’s multitude of campaign promises or if a second term will characteristically devolve into the familiar chaos of Washington infighting.

The arc of the Trump–Musk relationship reads like a political tragedy penned by Shakespeare. At…