Don't underestimate Donald Trump — he and his goals will survive without Musk
Share this @internewscast.com

Last week, among other activities, President Trump hosted Germany’s chancellor in the Oval Office, implemented a travel ban on 12 countries due to their citizens frequently violating visas, had a “very positive” discussion regarding tariffs with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, and maneuvered to advance his “one big beautiful bill” to completion in Congress.

Meanwhile, a stream of good economic news sent stock markets higher, with a jobs report beating expectations while inflation fell and wages rose.

Oh, and Trump also had a brutal falling out with Elon Musk.

No need to guess which of the above dominated the news.

Bad news spreads quickly and predictions of disaster grab attention, but my decade-long experience knowing and covering Trump has taught me some things. The first rule is to take a deep breath whenever it seems like his end is imminent.

No matter the sensational event at hand, the wise approach is to recognize that it too shall pass — and to feel sympathy for cats, as they only have nine lives.

Rule No. 2 is to be prepared for the next big end of days event, which is coming soon, and to expect another one after that.

The 47th president is a human machine full of pride and plans, but only rookies still attempt to define him by a single event. If a stream of nasty Democrat prosecutions and threats of jail didn’t derail him, the end of a partnership with the world’s richest man won’t either.

While Trump often appears to be courting disaster, reports of his imminent political demise still remain premature.

That’s not to say he is impervious, only that he is the closest thing to it on the American scene today.

The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.

So long, Elon, it was nice knowing ya.

Need for speed

Another thing to remember about Trump is that he’s in a hurry to get big things done and is determined not to get sidetracked by anything. He’s well aware of how Dems used the Russia, Russia, Russia hoax to win the House in the middle of the first term and showed no compunction about impeaching him over a nothing-burger phone call.

He’s not going to squander his second chance with a GOP-controlled Congress to engage in wild goose chases or pout over setbacks, even when they involve an important ally such as Musk.

The clock in his head is always ticking.

Despite his occasional talk of a possible third term, he knows that’s not going to happen. Besides the constitutional prohibition, the reality is that he turns 79 next Saturday, and the last thing Trump wants to do is stay too long at the party and repeat Joe Biden’s decrepit decline in office.

Thus, Trump’s need for speed is what makes the Musk divorce important. It ends, or at least interrupts, an iconic alliance that was good for both men and was paying big dividends to America.

Whether Musk is right that his support and his extensive financial contributions made the difference in last year’s campaign is impossible to know. But there is no doubt that the addition of Musk, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard to the Trump train broadened his appeal well beyond traditional GOP circles and MAGA diehards.

Consider, for example, that Kamala Harris foolishly tried to counter Trump’s moves by adding former Republican Vice President Dick Cheney and his daughter Liz Cheney to her team and claiming they were evidence she had bipartisan appeal.

The advantage to Trump wasn’t a close call.

As for Musk, most critical was his commitment to DOGE and to the idea that spending cuts are not only possible but essential to the nation’s future. He used his soapbox to set a new standard for Washington, even if the results fell short of the promise.

Whatever started his break with Trump, it was complete when he attacked the tax cut and spending legislation the president helped to craft, saying at one point, “I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful, but I don’t know if it can be both.”

No damage to agenda

The oddity is that the break came after Musk officially left his temporary DOGE post, complete with a happy sendoff in the Oval Office where Trump praised him and gave him a ceremonial key to the White House.

Given the nasty nature of the rupture, attempts by others to forge a reconciliation are not likely to succeed. Yet even if the break is final, I don’t believe it will do serious damage to the president’s agenda, despite the hopes of media doomsayers.

As even The New York Times ruefully conceded in a Saturday headline, “Elon Musk May Be Out. But DOGE Is Just Getting Started.”

Another mistake many Trump observers are making is seeing him through the eyes of his chaotic first term.

As I have noted before, Trump 2.0 is a very different person.

Being on the sideline for four years served him well in that he better understood Washington, and was smarter about what he wanted to achieve and who could help him do that.

In raw political terms, Biden’s spending-palooza that drove inflation to 40-year highs and the inexplicable decision to open the southern border were gifts that helped pave the way to a Trump return.

And then came the brush with death from a would-be assassin’s bullet in Pennsylvania.

‘God spared me’

I had previously arranged to interview Trump the next day on his flight to the GOP convention in Milwaukee, and to my everlasting surprise, he kept his schedule.

It was during that interview that he first raised the idea of divine intervention, saying, “I’m not supposed to be here . . . I’m supposed to be dead.”

His wry sense of humor remained intact, as he noted that people were already calling the photo of him standing up, pumping his fist and shouting “fight, fight, fight,” with his face streaked with his own blood, an “iconic” scene.

“They’re right and I didn’t die,” Trump said. “Usually you have to die to have an iconic picture.”

Although he was never an especially religious man, Trump began to embrace the idea that “God spared me for a purpose, and that purpose is to restore America to greatness.”

It’s a fat target for haters, but the important thing is that Trump himself believes it to be true.

One result is that he is a much calmer and more gracious president.

Even his demeanor last week reflected a “what, me worry?” approach, as he demonstrated in a series of quick phone interviews with media outlets, including The Post, where he insisted he was not rattled by the blowup.

His explanation was simple: Musk suffers from “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”

Woof, woof, and the caravan moves on.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Chemical plant emitting smoke over a grassy field.

Residents Frustrated by Year-Long Odor Issue from Rendering Plant Causing Unbearable ‘Rotting Flesh’ Smell

RESIDENTS of one city have been plagued by a foul-smelling issue for…
Clay County Deputy Ryan Perry arrested on sexual assault charges

Clay County Deputy Ryan Perry Charged with Armed Sexual Battery

The deputy took the woman upstairs alone, while another deputy questioned witnesses…
Islanders add more to cupboard at NHL draft

Islanders Strengthen Roster with Strategic Picks in NHL Draft

The second day of the draft often serves as a more engaging…
Tamika Sueann-Rose Chesser, charged with murder.

Boyfriend of Decapitated Model Remains Missing as 34-Year-Old Beauty & The Geek Star Faces Murder Charges

A FORMER Beauty and the Geek star has been charged with the…
Sniffer dog wearing a vest.

Tourist Deported After Fining for Kicking Sniffer Dog at US Airport

A TOURIST who kicked a sniffer dog “so hard it flew into…
Bears escape wildlife park enclosure and feast on week's worth of honey

Bears Break Free from Wildlife Park Enclosure and Enjoy Week-Long Honey Feast

In a scene reminiscent of “Winnie the Pooh,” two young bears that…
The damaged interior of a sunken superyacht.

Interior of luxurious superyacht ‘Bayesian’ unveiled as chaotic mess after seabed recovery

HAUNTING pictures of the Bayesian superyacht’s wrecked interior have been revealed –…
Protesters line highway in Florida Everglades to oppose 'Alligator Alcatraz'

Demonstrators Gather Along Florida Everglades Highway to Oppose ‘Alligator Alcatraz’

A diverse coalition comprising environmental activists and Native Americans advocating for the…
Lifeguard Charles Leto, 55, charged with murder after Laquan McDonald's cousin shot, Marjay Dotson killed at Douglass Park: report

Lifeguard Charles Leto, 55, accused of murder after shooting Laquan McDonald’s cousin, Marjay Dotson, fatally in Douglass Park: Report

CHICAGO (WLS) — A lifeguard has now been charged with murder and…
Diver who freed sharks gets Trump pardon after felony conviction stuns him: 'My heart sank'

Diver Known for Releasing Sharks Shocked by Trump Pardon Following Felony Conviction: ‘I Couldn’t Believe It’

A diver from Florida believed he was doing the right thing by…
What to know before jury begins deliberating in Sean 'Diddy' Combs' trial

Key Information to Understand Before Jury Deliberations in Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ Trial Begin

A federal judge in New York City is expected to instruct jurors…
Notorious Iranian prison boss flees minutes before Israeli airstrikes after secret warning

Infamous Iranian Prison Chief Escapes Just Before Israeli Airstrikes Following Covert Warning

EXCLUSIVE – Tehran’s infamous Evin Prison director, Hedayatollah Farzadi, reportedly fled the…