Trump’s main financial backer now has Bannon as his archenemy

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Lerato Khumalo

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Donald Trump wants to move into the White House in a week. Now the conflict between his main supporters is escalating.

So far, things seem to be going well for Elon Musk. Since Donald Trump’s election in November, the multi-billionaire has been more present than ever, intervening in US politics as he pleases and also driving the democratic parties in Europe.

But recently the American technology entrepreneur with South African roots has been met with fierce resistance. And that from another close ally of the future US president: Steve Bannon.

The extreme right-wing whip and Trump supporter from the very beginning has been shooting against Musk since Christmas, who owes his influence on Trump primarily to his investment of $250 million in his re-election. Bannon’s anger at Musk was sparked by his praise for so-called H-1B visas, which make it easier for foreigners with “special skills” to immigrate to the United States.

The South African Musk himself once benefited from such a special visa. Bannon has now taken the dispute further – with a veritable declaration of war on Musk.

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Trump’s former advisor Steve Bannon: He is an opponent of Elon Musk. (Source: Andrew Kelly)

“He’s a really bad person. Stopping him has become a personal matter for me,” Bannon told the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera in an interview last week about his new nemesis. “Since he had invested so much money before, I was willing to tolerate it. That’s over now.”

Bannon now claims a week before Trump’s inauguration that he will prevent Musk from receiving a “blue pass” with full access to the White House. Whether Bannon’s influence extends that far remains to be seen.

But his comments appear to capture a widespread feeling among Trump’s voter base. While Musk and other tech entrepreneurs celebrate the H-1B visa as a prerequisite for the US’s technological lead, many Trump supporters see it as a betrayal of Trump’s “America First” agenda.

Bannon now appears to be targeting this conflict of interest between Trump’s donors and his voters when he says: “The problem is that the techno-feudal lords are using the H-1B visas to their advantage and people are angry.” 76 percent of engineers in Silicon Valley are not Americans, according to Bannon, who also questions Musk’s personal motives.

Bannon claims that accumulating wealth and power is the only goal of Musk and his ilk: “He will do anything to ensure that any of his companies are protected, get a better deal or make more money.” He advises Musk to “go back to South Africa” ​​and asks why white South Africans, “the most racist people” ever, would comment on US issues.

With the reference to South Africa, Bannon is not only targeting Musk, but also the tech entrepreneurs Peter Thiel and David Sacks. They also grew up in South Africa during the apartheid era, hold similar views to Musk and also have a major influence on US politics.

The big question is which of the factions surrounding Trump will ultimately prevail. Political scientist Flavio Hickel says: “I believe the exchange of blows between traditional ‘MAGA’ and big tech ‘MAGA’ is the start of a long-lasting battle for the future of the movement.” The acronym “MAGA” stands for “Make America Great Again.”

Peter Thiel: The billionaire is considered a star in Silicon Valley and regularly receives media attention through his statements.Enlarge the image
Peter Thiel: The billionaire with German roots grew up for a time in South Africa and belongs to a group of influential, right-wing libertarian entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley. (Source: Getty Images/John Lamparski/Contributor)

In any case, Steve Bannon is likely to enjoy significantly more respect among Trump voters than Elon Musk. With his website “Breitbart,” Bannon has been drumming up support for Trump for years. At the start of his first term, Bannon was given the fantasy title of “chief strategist” and was in and out of the White House.

But Bannon’s statements soon became too radical even for Trump, and he had to leave the White House in 2017. Nevertheless, he always remained loyal to Trump and called on his supporters to march on the Capitol before January 6, 2021. Because he refused to comply with a summons to the parliamentary committee of inquiry on January 6th, Bannon was even temporarily imprisoned last year – from the point of view of Trump fans, Bannon had thus provided the ultimate proof of loyalty.

Some observers expect that Musk, who was appointed special adviser by Trump, will ultimately lose out. Because Trump knows very well that he owes his power mainly to the support of the working class. Others believe that the tempting money from Silicon Valley may have permanently changed the MAGA movement and that Trump will lead his base to the center rather than letting it pull him to the right.