No sooner had Donald Trump and his MAGA buddies decided Democrats suddenly failed to steal the presidential election than he and financier Elon Musk got on the phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The ever-credulous Axios got the scoop:
Donald Trump’s phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday included two surprises: Elon Musk was also on the line, and Zelensky was somewhat reassured by what he heard from the president-elect, two sources with knowledge of the call tell Axios.
The word “somewhat” is doing a lot of work there. Here are the more significant next two paragraphs:
Why it matters: The new details of the call underscore how influential Musk could be in the second Trump administration, and the uncertainty over how exactly Trump will approach Ukraine.
Between the lines: Trump’s public messages throughout the election campaign — promising a quick resolution to the war, declining to say which side he wanted to win and criticizing the massive aid packages flowing from Washington — raised alarm bells in Kyiv and throughout Europe.
Then, several paragraphs down:
Three sources briefed on the call all told Axios that Zelensky felt the call went well and that it did not increase his anxiety about Trump’s victory. One source said it “didn’t leave Zelensky with a feeling of despair.”
OK, not feeling despair and not feeling increased anxiety are better than their alternatives but that’s hardly the same as reassured, in my book.
I’m sure it’s just a wild coincidence that Musk also makes a lot of money from helping Ukraine under the Biden administration.
From The New York Times article on the call:
Mr. Musk, who has become close to Mr. Trump in recent months and provided him with financial and logistical support in the presidential campaign as well as full-throated backing on his social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, has been a vital supplier to the Ukrainian war effort through his Starlink satellite communications network.
Mr. Musk is a major U.S. government contractor, especially to the Pentagon, which relies heavily on SpaceX for launch capacity. He has already sought to have some of his employees placed in government jobs when Mr. Trump takes office, and Mr. Trump has said he wants Mr. Musk in a role recommending ways to slash government spending.
So, it’s very much to Musk’s benefit to keep selling to Ukraine, at least until his p***y-grabbing puppet takes office and more overtly cuddles up with Vladimir Putin, too.
And maybe this is where Trump makes up any lost Ukraine dough to Musk: When The Times says Trump wants Musk to recommend “ways to slash government spending,” it really means “big cuts to programs most Americans rely on and big windfalls to the Apartheid-boy’s billionaire club.”
Let’s be clear: While Donald Trump played a populist on TV and can’t wait to wreak cruelty and havoc on immigrants of color, the guy pulling his strings is a likely illegal immigrant oligarch. But he’s a fellow white racist and gives money to Trump, so what’s not to like if you’re a greedy, insecure guy without a shred of decency or patriotism?
