As he prepares to return to the White House, Donald Trump (78) is facing two unpleasant surprises. Flags are flying at half-staff at state offices, and he is frequently criticized for not being in charge of the transition process, but rather being led by a "shadow leader."
The election winner certainly does not like the atmosphere in which, after his victory over Kamala Harris (60), he sees symbols of national grief fluttering and challenges to his readiness to take over the helm of the state being launched. But this was not about his fate, but about two men, one of whom rekindled memories of honorable office and the other inflamed fantasies of amassing wealth.
Flags were lowered to half-staff to pay tribute to the recently deceased legendary President Jimmy Carter (100), and the "shadow leader" was seen as multibillionaire Elon Musk (53), who, through donations and propaganda on his social network X, significantly contributed to Trump's triumph and now enjoys his maximum trust. There is no similarity between Carter and Musk, and the differences between them are enormous, like between the former president's peanut plantation and the Tesla car factory of the future president's "first friend".
The comparison of their lives, however, fits into the story of exceptional individuals who, even when they reach the peak of their careers, push themselves into ventures in unknown terrain in order to test their abilities to the limit.
Although he was a relatively unknown governor of Georgia, Carter won the presidential election and became head of state in 1977, primarily because citizens saw in his high ethical values a way out of the moral quagmire of the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal. He was most proud of his pursuit of peace, for which, as he said, America “did not drop a single bomb or fire a single missile” during his entire term.
But, at that time, local wars were raging across the planet, so his pacifism was taken as a flaw, and this, along with rising inflation, contributed to his not being re-elected. He was also rated as one of the most unsuccessful US presidents, but this inglorious political end gradually grew into global fame. Through humanitarian and peace actions (and he also brokered a short-lived ceasefire in Bosnia and Herzegovina), he earned the title of "the best former president" and received the Nobel Prize.
It's too early, one might say, to be right while he was in power. After leaving power, he did so much good for the world through his personal initiatives that experts now recommend him as a role model for everyone - what to do when they're screwed.
Musk is a different story. When he became the richest man in the world (assets around $300 billion), he decided to jump into official politics with all his might. He immediately began to act as if he knew everything about it, identifying it, for the most part, with a profitable company, which is also what Trump is prone to.
He soon became so exalted that he set out to reorganize the world, or rather, that some allies should change their governments. First of all, to replace social democratic aspirations with ultra-rightist ones, so he recommended this to Germany, Britain, Canada...
He has bombarded the world with rapid-fire inflammatory messages, the Washington Post noted. American foreign policy is in the hands of the president, but even before taking office, Musk has emerged as his flamboyant "right-hand man."
"A 'Trumpo-Muscovy' is at work," warns Timothy Snyder, from the Vienna Institute of Social Sciences. This expert, who is also a professor at Yale, explains to the Guardian that he coined the name of the American billionaire tandem because the announced Trump team reminds him of the Moscow of his time, when Boris Yeltsin was surrounded by younger, very active and ambitious oligarchs.
Chroniclers predict that "Trumpo-Muscovy" will not last long. First of all, because of the looming conflict of interest, because Musk will be in charge of cutting budget expenses, while at the same time taking care of increasing the profits of his companies, which are largely networked with the flows of state money. In addition, they say, it is difficult to sustain a relationship between two such pronounced egocentrics, neither of whom can stand to be in someone else's shadow.
If such a split occurs, Carter's formula is advisable - just as you knew how to get to the top, you should also know how to calmly come down from it. However, the newly minted tandem has not yet demonstrated this democratic trait.
Musk was never involved in such extortion in business, and Trump has not admitted to losing the last election to this day. As this article goes to press, Trump's current victory is about to be made official in Washington.
On this same date four years ago, Trump's supporters tried to forcefully declare him the winner of the election he lost to the now-outgoing Joe Biden (82). This time, a peaceful transfer of power is expected, so that for the first time in memory, the US president will become a man who recognizes the election only if he wins.
Here, he is officially expected to show more understanding for Serbia. He will recognize that we too have a version of "Trumpo-Massocracy", the co-rule of the ruler and his close tycoons whose surnames cannot be made into understandable coins.
In the meantime, not only Americans but practically the entire world desires leaders who will be better than the current ones. To be peace-loving and modest like Carter, and to make jobs flourish for citizens like Musk. This also fits in with the rebellion of our students who, at first modestly, are asking for institutions to flourish, in accordance with legal jurisdiction...
Bonus video:
