After the Musk/Trump rally, there’s a better word for Republicans than ‘weird’
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A few months back, before he became the Democratic vice-presidential candidate with Kamala Harris, Tim Walz hit the jackpot in an interview when he highlighted how "strange" the Republican party has turned in recent years.
The term resonated deeply, not only with Democrats, who have found it challenging to express the changes in their rivals' beliefs since 2015, but also with Republicans. They took the remark to heart and appeared to be at a loss for how to address it.
I’m not sure how they could, especially after two of their most prominent figures on the global scene—Donald Trump and Elon Musk—gathered at a highly awaited rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday night and presented us with… well, that performance?
On paper, the event seemed like a guaranteed success. It featured Trump making his comeback to the place where an assassination attempt was made on him, standing strong despite the threat to his life, and joined by the wealthiest person on the planet, who was often referred to as a "real-life Tony Stark" (and yes, we actually used to call him that).
Instead, what we ended up with was a total flop in terms of messaging. The two men together seemed even less impactful than they would have been alone, making it feel like a step backward. They peddled falsehoods, heightened political divisions, and went after those who were already struggling. This was just another day for two individuals who had the resources to learn how to interact socially, yet chose to embody a form of "white nationalism that is somehow even more foolish."
At this stage, you can't help but question if "weird" is the best term to use. Perhaps "cringeworthy" fits better. The images from the event certainly convey that idea—one features Musk mid-jump while Trump observes with a fatherly sense of disapproval; another captures Musk leaning towards Trump, his expression suggesting he’s seeking the validation he never received from his own father.
I understand that I'm being a bit unfair here, as most people don't come across well in spontaneous photos. What's truly awkward is that Musk even showed up for the rally, especially after Trump publicly embarrassed him on Truth Social—Trump's own platform that rivals Musk's struggling site—just two years ago.
In a blog post, the former president recalled the time Elon Musk approached the White House seeking assistance for his various subsidized ventures. He mentioned how Musk had projects ranging from electric cars with limited range to self-driving cars that malfunction and rockets that seem aimless. The former president noted that without these subsidies, Musk's projects would hold little value. He also talked about how Musk claimed to be a fan of Trump and aligned with Republican views. The former president remarked that he could have easily demanded Musk to “get down on his knees and plead,” and he believed Musk would have complied.
So, I suppose he really went through with it, didn’t he? To be honest, getting down on his knees and pleading might have been slightly less cringe-worthy—not just for Musk, who was put down by Trump, but also for Trump himself, who, by hosting the rally, indirectly acknowledged that he required support from someone he considers to be of little value.
Perhaps the term “offensive” fits best? That’s how I would characterize Elon Musk’s statement that “If [Republicans] don’t vote, this will be the last election.” It’s the kind of fearmongering that has no place in a democracy, and it’s even more outrageous when it occurs at an event for someone who was involved in an attempted uprising during the last election.
Has Musk overlooked the fact that only one of the two candidates has referred to themselves as a "dictator"? Or that they claimed Americans "won't need to vote anymore" if they come out on top? Honestly, I find it hard to believe he has. If I had to make a guess, I’d say he’s just speaking without much thought.
Perhaps "pitiful" would be a more accurate description? It was definitely quite pitiful to see how Trump resorted to his usual, worn-out phrases. He revisited familiar themes, including lines like "Joe Biden is funding sex change surgeries for undocumented immigrants" and "my political rivals attempted to assassinate me." At one moment, he even bragged about his ability to speak without a teleprompter—while, ironically, he was reading from one.
If I had to choose a single word to capture the essence of the American political right today, highlighting both their ideological shortcomings and personal shortcomings, I would have to go with "losers."
It's a gathering of individuals like Musk, seeking approval but unable to genuinely achieve it. It's a gathering of people like JD Vance, who understands that he can't truly support any of his advertised views, resorting instead to fabricating tales about immigrants harming pets to scare voters into aligning with him. It's a gathering of people like Marjorie Taylor Greene, who genuinely appears to think that some mysterious group can manipulate the weather.
Let's hope that by November 5, it will be the end for Donald Trump, a twice-defeated candidate. It would be great to not have to listen to any more of his strange, awkward, off-putting, or pitiful remarks.
