Don’t underestimate Elon Musk, Trump may have to worry

What President Donald Trump and the Republican Party may have to worry about is the level of “adoration” that Republican voters have for Elon Musk.
US President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk. Photo: Xinhua
After a dramatic fallout with President Donald Trump and the US government over a massive spending bill, Elon Musk not only publicly criticized Mr. Trump, but also implied that he had helped the US President win the election, signaled the formation of a new party, and made a series of shocking accusations.

Elon Musk, the right-hand man, is said to have become Trump’s most dangerous “spoiler.” Not because Elon Musk is the richest billionaire in the world . Nor because he owns social network X with more than 220 million followers. What President Trump – and the Republican Party – should be worried about is the level of “adoration” that Republican voters have for Elon Musk.

According to the latest Economist/YouGov poll, 76% of Republican voters favor Elon Musk. Another poll by the New York Times/Siena College puts the number at 77%.

Elon Musk even outranks high-ranking leaders like House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune in terms of support within the party.

The only two people who are more popular than Elon Musk in the Republican Party are President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance. But the difference is that Elon Musk didn’t need to run for office to take over the platform. He controlled it.
Elon Musk and his son on the South Lawn of the White House, April 13, 2025. Photo: Xinhua
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) – a government spending-cutting agency led by Elon Musk – has been controversial, but it has scored big with conservative voters who favor reducing the size of government. A Harvard-Harris poll found that nearly 90% of Republicans believe DOGE is effective.

To them, Elon Musk is not only a symbol against underground power groups but also someone who “says out loud” what they “think secretly”.

According to polls, Elon Musk doesn’t need to win the presidency to pose a risk to Trump. Elon Musk has the power to derail Trump’s agenda, divide the party, and disrupt the 2026 midterms.

What Mr. Trump and the Republican Party should be worried about is that Elon Musk knows the weakness of MAGA (Make America Great Again).

Elon Musk has been in the room where MAGA was born—at the rallies, the showbiz-filled cabinet speeches, and the shady political deals. He knows MAGA voters. And now he knows how to turn them against the man they once worshipped.

Mr. Trump still leads the Republican Party in the polls . But when the potential opponent is a billionaire who controls the media, has not run for office, is unconstrained, and has the ability to “troll” the political system, it is no longer a two-player game. It is a card game, and Elon Musk holds the trump card.

For his part, however, Elon Musk has not been without damage. The bitter feud between the two powerful men has shaken politics and Wall Street, wiping out about $150 billion in Tesla ’s market value in a single day and putting SpaceX’s tens of billions of dollars in government contracts at risk.