The Collapse of a Powerful Alliance
The most powerful alliance in US politics collapsed in real time on Thursday, as President Donald Trump and Elon Musk praised each other from their respective social media platforms and exchanged political barbs and personal insults.
The Impact on Fox News
The largest media ally of the couple, Fox News – the most viewed cable news network in the world, which is often seen as a clearinghouse for the MAGA agenda – had a hard time dealing with the separation. Since Thursday afternoon, the MAGA-oriented opinions of the network around the feud have largely mourned and torn apart between their two central heroes, which they occasionally discussed openly on the television screen.
Reactions from Fox News Personalities
Will Cain complained that the feud "is not a story that we wanted for America today". Greg Gutfeld demanded that the couple "turn it off" and make up, saying that sabotage is not a "golden age" and that this self-inflicted feud is not good for anyone. Long-time Trump ally and personal friend Laura Ingraham admonished Musk, whom she called a modern Thomas Edison, saying that "Trump is not the problem here". She confessed that the situation "makes me sad" and solemnly claimed that she spoke to an insider who said it was irreparable.
Downplaying the Severity of the Feud
Other personalities from Fox News seemed to downplay the severity of the feud between the two most powerful personalities in conservative politics, who publicly called each other liars, losers, and worse things. Sean Hannity said "big deal, you will work out at some point, you will be friends again". Lawrence Jones said "there is no separation, you will bury the hatchet" and added that "you have two strong alpha men who are deep in their beliefs and only exploded online".
Analogies and Defenses
Jesse Watters suggested that Trump and Musk are like friends in a love triangle, saying "guys sometimes hit your face, and the next evening you have beer; sleep with your girlfriend and you patch out things". Ainsley Earhardt made a similar analogy, saying "it is like a relationship, everyone was in a relationship in which they are crazy at the beginning, they speak, they speak of meeting the family, and suddenly it takes a turn and they don’t like each other". Surprisingly, the network has not prevented Musk’s claim that Trump is mentioned in the so-called Epstein files, the long subject of right-wing conspiracy theories.
Defending Trump
Some Fox News personalities defended Trump against Musk’s claims. Watters said "if Trump were in them, Biden would probably have released them". Hannity offered a defense, saying that Trump "was one of the first people who realized how terrible Epstein really was". Brian Kilmeade said "the Epstein file was far exaggerated, and just crazy to say that Trump was in the Epstein files", but made sure to praise Musk’s efforts during his time in the Trump administration.
Conclusion
Remarkably, none of the MAGA-oriented opinion stars from Fox expressly chose one side and instead decided to believe that this is a mere blip in their great friendship. It will be interesting to see where they fall when things become even uglier. The safe bet is, of course, on Trump.
