FT Tech Tonic Trump's Tech Bros: The tragedy of Elon Musk
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Jun 17, 2025 
In this discussion, Stephen Morris, FT’s San Francisco Bureau Chief, and Joe Miller, the FT’s Washington correspondent, dive into the tumultuous relationship between Elon Musk and Donald Trump. They unravel Musk's ambitious yet unsuccessful government reform plans and his abrupt exit from political life. The conversation reveals how Musk's bold ideas clashed with the realities of governance, leading to a dramatic fallout marked by public disputes. This breakdown raises questions about Musk's future impact on both tech and politics.
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Musk's Political Awakening Anecdote
- Musk grew skeptical of Joe Biden's administration after several snubs, including being excluded from a key EV forum.
- This led him to seek political power to counteract what he called the woke mind virus, influenced by personal reasons.
Musk's Govt Reform Vision
- Musk believed he could apply his swift, decisive private sector management style to reform the federal government.
- He proposed cutting $2 trillion from the federal budget, under the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Limits of Musk's Cuts at DOGE
- DOGE focused cuts mainly on personnel, avoiding entitlements and regulations, where the biggest government spending lies.
- Musk's approach was delete-heavy without building new improvements, making this method ineffective for government.