Robert Bernard Reich, an American professor who has held significant positions in U.S. politics, particularly during the Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter administrations, served as a cabinet member under Bill Clinton, and was an economic advisor during Obama’s tenure, has been recognized by Time magazine as one of the ten most influential cabinet secretaries of the 20th century. Reich authored a blog post analyzing the support of “American oligarchs” like Elon Musk, Rupert Murdoch, and Peter Thiel for former President Donald Trump. According to Reich, the support of U.S. billionaires for Trump is not solely driven by commercial interests but is also part of a movement against American democracy and global nations.
Secret Meetings and Media Manipulation
Last month, the famous entrepreneur Elon Musk and investor David Sacks organized a billionaire’s dinner in Hollywood. The main agenda and topic of this dinner were to determine strategies to defeat current President Joe Biden in the upcoming elections and to ensure Donald Trump’s reelection to the White House. The guest list for the dinner organized by Musk and Sacks was quite extensive. Among the attendees were well-known billionaires from various sectors, including Rupert Murdoch, Peter Thiel, Michael Milken, Steven Mnuchin, and Travis Kalanick.
According to an analysis by The New York Times, Elon Musk posts an average of seven times a month against current President Joe Biden and more than twenty times in favor of former President Donald Trump. This analysis also suggests that Musk has 184 million followers and, as the owner of the platform, is likely manipulating the algorithm to maximize interactions. It is understood that billionaire Elon Musk, who leads the most serious opposition and criticism against President Joe Biden, is not only using tweets on the X platform (formerly Twitter) but also taking more comprehensive actions against Biden.
A Movement Against Democracy
According to Robert Bernard Reich, Musk’s initiative cannot be explained solely by commercial interests. Another billionaire invited to the dinner, Peter Thiel, openly stated his support for a movement against democracy, saying, “I no longer believe that freedom and democracy are compatible.” Thiel not only ideologically supports Donald Trump but also reinforces his stance by making significant donations to Trump’s election campaigns.
Donations Influencing Elections
There are various reasons why the billionaires united in support of Trump’s campaign. Among the prominent reasons are the incentives, various permits, and tax reductions they expect to receive if Trump becomes president again. Therefore, they are providing substantial financial support to former President Donald Trump and the Republican Party.
According to a report by Americans for Tax Fairness, the number of wealthy individuals supporting Donald Trump is much higher than known. The report states that approximately 50 wealthy families have contributed more than $600 million to support Trump and Republican Party campaigns for the 2024 U.S. Presidential Elections. The billionaires providing financial support to Trump are also seen openly praising Trump’s economic policies and his election and presidential vision in newspapers and on television.
Ideological Struggle
The famous billionaire Elon Musk sees himself in a battle against certain ideologies. Specifically, he is fighting against what he describes as the “woke” movement, which is fundamentally about social justice and racial equality. He believes these movements are rebranded and reidentified forms of communism. While conservative wealthy individuals who uphold America’s old traditions see it as their duty to protect the country’s established institutions, new-generation billionaires like Musk and Thiel are not inclined to preserve and uphold values such as social security, civil rights, and women’s rights, which make America a democratic country.
According to Robert Bernard Reich, to counter the efforts of American oligarchs to undermine and corrupt democracy and American values, a bold pro-democracy movement is necessary. The presence of an elite class surrounding Trump and unconditionally supporting his policies is believed to exacerbate inequalities in income and wealth in the country. This would create a power that destroys democracy.
Written by UMUT GUNER
