Elon Musk could be targeted for revenge very soon.
He received a dark threat from the media.
And he will want to be very careful about what happens next.
Elon Musk has made a lot of powerful people very upset.
Now the press is reporting on some real threats being directed at Musk by powerful foreign leaders.
They want to squeeze him in an effort to pressure the Trump administration to back off.
According to Axios, “As the world seeks ways to retaliate against U.S. tariffs, so-called ‘first buddy’ Elon Musk appears to be high on the list of targets.”
“Targeted retaliation is designed to give supporters of Donald Trump an incentive to try to persuade him to deescalate any trade war.”
Musk is the wealthiest man in the world, and even if he loses some ground financially, he is not going hungry anytime soon.
“China is slow-walking approval of Tesla’s autonomous driving technology, the FT reported on Monday, with authorities seeking to use that approval ‘as a bargaining chip in trade negotiations with Trump,’” Axios continued.
“A key aspect of negotiating with Trump is being able to influence him directly.”
“It helps explain why a Brookings Institution analysis found that Chinese retaliatory tariffs will affect more than twice as many workers in counties that voted for Trump in 2024 as workers in counties that voted for Kamala Harris.”
“Similarly, when Trump announced 25% tariffs on all Canadian imports, the premier of British Columbia, David Eby, banned alcohol from red states in government-run BC Liquor Stores.”
China, Canada, and other countries are trying to put heat on Musk, Trump, and their own personal assets – or the interests of Trump supporters – to try to gain influence.
They’re hoping that by ratcheting up the pressure on both of them they can finally get their way.
It seems unlikely that Musk and Trump will back down given the fact they’ve marketed themselves as fighters who never back down until they get what they want.