Hey, and welcome to Decoder. This is Alex Heath, deputy editor at The Verge. I’m guest hosting today’s episode for Nilay.
Today, we’re diving into the bromance between Elon Musk and President Donald Trump, and more specifically, how it’s impacting the changing right-wing political movement here in the United States.
There’s no better place to get that temperature check than the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC. Musk showed up there this year for a wild interview — you may have seen clips of him waving around a literal chainsaw.
Since Musk got close to Trump, I’ve been curious to know how MAGA diehards really feel about that relationship. I’ve also been wondering if this administration will go easier on tech companies now that so many of their CEOs have kissed the ring.
Thankfully, The Verge’s policy reporter, Gaby Del Valle, was on the ground for us at CPAC this year. As you’ll hear her say, she barely slept. But she got a front-row, fascinating look at how the world of MAGA really feels about Musk, his Department of Government Efficiency, and regulating big tech. Even if you’re already sick of hearing about the current state of American politics, I think you’ll learn something from our conversation. I know I did.
If you’d like to learn more about the topics we discussed in this episode, check out the links below:
- I cannot describe how strange Elon Musk’s CPAC appearance was | The Verge
- At CPAC, the world’s populists parrot the leader who inspired them | Politico
- Government still threatening to ‘semi-fire’ workers who don’t answer Musk email | The Verge
- Saying ‘no’ to Musk | NYT
- What that chainsaw was really about | NYT
- Sequins, merch, chainsaws: Trump’s return to CPAC | NYT
- Bannon calls Musk a ‘parasitic illegal immigrant’ | NYT
- New York got $80 million for migrants. The White House took it back | NYT
- Federal technology staffers resign rather than help Musk and DOGE | AP
- National Park Service layoffs, hiring delays impact visitors | NPR
Recent Comments