timeBecause of the scarcity of information, the task of deconstructing the inner workings of the Soviet leadership was once considered a science. Today, Donald Trump’s court may be just as mysterious — but for very different reasons. Trump supporters trying to keep up with the machinations of the Make America Great Again (Maga) movement and its sympathizers in the UK are faced with a deluge of information in social media posts and podcast rants. Today's sworn enemy can easily become tomorrow's closest conspirator. Steve Bannon has publicly stated his intention to catch up with Trump aide Elon Musk on Inauguration Day, which is just a few days away. Making sense of it all won't be easy, but here's what we know about the current feuds and competition in the Maga ecosystem:
He is said to be a Trump whisperer. They were the best minds in politics, the president said at the start of his first term in the White House. Bannon, executive chairman of the anti-establishment website Breitbart, is content with his ambitions. Until he wasn't anymore. After writer Michael Wolff painted Trump as a volatile charlatan relying on Bannon's brain, the president's all-powerful chief strategist suddenly became "Sloppy Steve." It probably didn't help that Bannon also described the president's daughter, Ivanka Trump, as "dumb as a brick."
"He used the sloppy Steve Bannon who cried and begged for his job when he was fired," Trump said on Twitter, referring to Wolff's book "Fire and Fury." "Now, sloppy Steve has been abandoned like a dog by almost everyone. Too bad!" One might think these would be the last words of the relationship. But that’s not how the world of Maga works. After serving four months in prison for defying multiple subpoenas surrounding the investigation into the events of January 6, 2021, Bannon has resumed his role as a loyal cheerleader for Trump, reportedly The two became close again. But now, there are other big names on the scene, not least the latest "first partner" Elon Musk.
"He's a truly evil man, a very bad man," Bannon said of Elon Musk, the world's richest man and co-head of Trump's new administration's efficiency department. "I take it as a personal matter to defeat this guy. In the past, I was prepared to tolerate it because he invested money, but now I am not prepared to tolerate it. I will let Elon Musk run out of here on the day of the inauguration." The rift between the two Maga egos is said to be Musk's support for the H-1B visa, which allows companies such as Musk's own SpaceX and Tesla to hire skilled professionals and engineers from outside the United States. Bannon claimed to view these visas as an attempt by "tech overlords" to game the system. The hardcore Macau voters that Bannon’s War Room podcast caters to are wary of big tech collaborations. It also feels a little personal. "He (Musk) should go back to South Africa," Bannon said of the Pretoria-born billionaire. "Why do we have South Africans, the most racist people on earth, white South Africans... making any comment about what's going on in the United States?"
Musk has yet to comment on Bannon's declaration of war. He may be busy causing trouble in England. Musk dismissed Nigel Farage, a long-time Brexit supporter who leads the UK government, after the failure of police and local authorities to tackle a scandal involving child abuse by a Pakistani-origin man sparked national debate. Reform, the new right party in British politics. Farage described Musk's previous support for his party as "cool." But then he recklessly distanced himself from X owners’ appreciation of Tommy Robinson’s life and work. Tommy Robinson is a convicted fraudster and anti-Islam provocateur whose criminal behavior Farage views as a potentially dangerous contaminant to his own brand. Robinson is serving 18 months in prison for contempt of court. He has a string of other convictions, including violent offences. Farage disagreed with Musk's characterization of him as a political prisoner and said the same thing. "The Reform Party needs a new leader. Farage doesn't have it," Musk wrote on Twitter.
At the end of 2024, things looked to be going well for Nigel Farage. Although insiders say rumors that Musk made a large donation to Reform are overblown. Farage’s notoriously good relationship with Donald Trump looks set to pay dividends again. What could possibly go wrong? Well, that's enough. Farage has spent his life trying, often unsuccessfully, to distance his brand from the street violence that Robinson's name represents. Farage said Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, "is not what we need" as the Reform Party attempts to become the party of government. The problem for Farage is that Robinson has some powerful fans in Trump circles. In addition to Musk's support, Robinson was described as a "hero" by Bannon, who stood next to a grieving Liz Truss.
"This is what happened," Trump reportedly told Susie Wiles, who will become the first female White House chief of staff, in reference to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Guys really hate you." Wiles helped DeSantis in the 2018 gubernatorial race, but the two soon had a serious falling out. Perhaps uniquely, this is a Maga personality conflict that has yet to be documented in real time on social media. But DeSantis appeared to be trying to oust Wiles after concluding that Wiles was working behind the scenes to undermine him. Ahead of the 2020 election, Trump hired Wiles to campaign in Florida, as he did in 2016, over the governor's objections. She has remained loyal to Trump over the past four years and was praised by the president-elect on election night for the role she played in securing his victory over Kamala Harris. She described working with DeSantis as the "biggest mistake" of her career. DeSantis dropped out of the Republican presidential race last January to support Trump.
Trump supports Brexit. Dominic Cummings, the brains behind the Brexit campaign and later Boris Johnson's most senior adviser in Downing Street, recently publicly expressed his support for the president-elect's pick for defense secretary, Fox News host Pete Hegseth. It's an "inspired choice who will clear out the madness and rebuild power!" Cummings tweeted. Then we might think everything is sweet between Trump and Cummings. Not so fast. Just three years ago, Cummings, a self-proclaimed disruptor, appealed to Silicon Valley billionaires for money to fund a "comedy horror sequel" that would prevent a second Trump term as president. "His insecurity means he is unable to face his lack of skills and trust/empower anyone to build a team to run the government for him," he said at the time. Cummings has also not spent much time with Nigel Farage, leading to speculation that he has been advising Musk on his latest UK intervention. Cummings said he has not spoken to or met Musk. However.
"My approach to relationships with Donald's children has always been based on love and respect," Melania wrote in her recent autobiography. Still, she said her husband was attracted to her ability to "have deep conversations." Melania's former friend and aide Stephanie Winston Wolkoffa describes the first lady and Trump's daughter Ivanka during her first term in her own memoir Intense tensions. Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner were allegedly called "snakes" by Melania because "they will stop at nothing to get what they want." Meanwhile, Melania is said to have approved the seating arrangements for the first inaugural platform so that her stepdaughter will not be in front of the cameras. Melania has denied the accusations, calling them "misleading and malicious rumors."
Longtime Trump legal adviser Boris Epshteyn may have resigned from the White House communications office in 2017 over security clearance issues, but he was one of the most powerful figures early in the latest presidential transition. Things went awry when Epshtein allegedly demanded monthly consulting fees from potential government nominees in exchange for lobbying on their behalf at Mar-a-Lago. These claims were dismissed. Musk is said to be one of those eliminated due to Epshtein's outsized influence in Trump's inner circle. There were reports in November of a "massive altercation" between the pair. Neither man commented.