CHRISTOPHER RUFO: Trump voters and Elon Musk innovators could form a powerful coalition
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Editor’s Note: The following column was first published in the City Gazetteer.
WITH President-elect Donald Trump due to take office later this month, it is worth considering how his coalition has changed.
The source of power of the newly elected president – his voting base – is populist in nature. This was visible from the beginning. Trump has brought together a new political cross-section and over the past decade has transformed the GOP into a multiracial party of the working class. He has managed to attract tens of thousands of people to stadiums and arenas and dominate a fervent social media following that propagates his message.
Trump’s populist appeal had a downside: His voters and his vision lacked elite advocates who could capably manage the White House and advance the MAGA agenda. There was Trump the President and Trump voters, but nothing in between. It lacked the necessary middle layer to control the bureaucracy and negotiate with external powers.
Now Trump has a second chance, and his coalition has undergone a major shift: a growing segment of the tech industry has committed MAGA agenda. The most prominent representative of this development is the richest man in the world, Elon Musk. Hundreds of other tech leaders followed suit, donating to Trump and supporting his 2024 presidential campaign.
The tragedy of Trump’s first presidential term was that he was held back from all sides. He was an isolated man in the White House with few outside allies and insufficient control over his administration. This time things might be different.
Some of it is undoubtedly selfish. Technologists fear the taxes, regulations, antitrust and other restrictions that would likely be part of it Kamala Harris agenda. But part of it is ideological. Many figures on the right, including Musk, have a genuine distaste, even disgust, for “woke” politics and would like to see an innovative, free and growth-oriented American economy. Some tech leaders were the first to embrace support for Trump, while others came on board more recently, after it became safe. But the overall message is clear: the tech industry gambled on Trump and looks set to benefit not only financially but ideologically from his election victory.
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And Trump stands to gain. Musk controls Xthe world’s most important news platform. Pro-Trump venture capitalists have stakes in the most important and dynamic companies. And using Tech Right staff to staff his administration will give Trump more control over the bureaucratic structures around and beneath him.
The tragedy of Trump’s first presidential term was that he was held back from all sides. He was an isolated man in the White House with few outside allies and insufficient control over his administration.
This time things might be different.
It is unlikely that the public will fall victim to another round of scaremongering by the press corps. During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump has shown more tact and restraint than at any time in his political career. And Musk can bring in an elite in tech and finance that was previously receptive to Republicans but shunned Trump.
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The technological-populist partnership carries risks. Through Christmastidefor example, Trump’s populist base and the tech right have been sparring over H-1B visas. Populists resented the entry of foreign tech workers into domestic companies, while technologists argued that many of these immigrants help spur economic growth. These conflicts will be resolved over time.
Right now, the alliance seems to hold more promise than danger. Trump can rally his dedicated base, while the tech right can help staff the administration and institutionally promote the president’s message. The success of Trump’s second presidential term could depend on the success of this partnership.
