Elon Musk: Applause and compliments for his criticism of US President Donald Trump

For those who want to live in freedom, the free exchange of opinions is essential. After the start of Donald Trump's second presidency on January 20, that very nutrient seemed to have been virtually eradicated in the United States: A system of proliferating concentric circles of yes-men and favorites emerged around Trump – no matter how absurdly false or outlandish his theories might be. The rewards were influence and money, hallmarks of autocratic systems.

Civil society in the US seemed sedated, a warning signal not only for the US, but for the entire world. If someone can use this tactic to become the most powerful person in the world and enrich themselves and their family—what better blueprint for imitators?

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That's why Elon Musk, former Trump advisor and one of the most successful entrepreneurs of his generation, did the world a valuable service by opposing the US president. He contradicted a man who acts like the Sun King. He did so from the heart of the Trump system, which had far more impact than if Musk had previously been a system opponent. He did so without fully assessing the disadvantages this would bring for himself.

Most importantly, he is now provoking a kind of stress test for liberal US society. In Russia and China, his days of freedom would be numbered. Can Musk rely on remaining unharmed despite his criticism of the system's ruler, Trump? Will he be protected by the rule of law, whose meticulousness and persistence Musk himself has so often discredited?

Trump's reaction to this isn't entirely clear. The fact that the 78-year-old calls Musk "crazy" doesn't seem to pose any threat to him. However, the president also accuses Musk of becoming "hostile" and mixing business interests with political influence. This could potentially lead to legal action.

The rhetorical scythes used by Trump and Musk may be disturbing to fans of refined discourse and are clearly not recommended for emulation under normal circumstances. Musk's insinuations, for example, that Trump was involved in the machinations of the serious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, amount to character assassination.

Nevertheless, the sharpness of the rhetoric is helpful in this particular case, and when balanced generously. It illuminates the characters of the actors and thus makes them accessible to a wider audience.

Elon Musk's frontal attack on the US Congress's gigantic tax package threatens the core of Trump's agenda. The billionaire calls the bill a "disgusting abomination" because of its enormous debt and threatens to vote senators out of office. There may also be personal motives behind this.

This also applies to the second, important aspect of the debate: the venality of democratic elections and the influence of largely unregulated communication platforms. Musk is now publicly putting forward the thesis more clearly than ever before that Trump won the election only thanks to his support ("without me, Trump would have lost the election"). A thesis that has long been advocated by pollsters.

The world's richest businessman had supported Trump's election campaign with around $250 million and heavily promoted him on his opinion platform X. Trump had narrowly won the popular vote , the overall nationwide majority, against his Democratic opponent Kamala Harris, with 49.8 percent to 48.3 percent.

The result is a global politics resembling schoolyard brawls and a brutalization of political culture. Musk is and remains responsible for this. The fact that he is now exercising his right to freedom of expression, however, is an important signal for the self-healing powers of free societies. Now it's their members' turn: They must wake up and organize their defense.