From Tesla Cybertrucks to Meta AI, there’s no escaping the impact of billionaires in America today. Social media users across the country are signed up for Instagram, Facebook and X, formerly known as Twitter. Over 1 million Teslas were sold just in 2024 alone. Companies owned by billionaires are everywhere in this country, and millions of Americans use products created by them every day. But what happens when these billionaires try to have a say in politics? With members of the wealthy upper class like Elon Musk donating millions of dollars to political campaigns, many Americans are beginning to question the role these people play in our government. The U.S. government is meant to be for the people, but are these wealthy elites really playing for the average Americans’ team?
Americans all over the country have started to debate this topic, with it only becoming more crucial after former President Joe Biden’s farewell address. “Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence,” Biden said in his speech, explaining that it “really threatens our entire democracy, basic rights and freedom.”
Biden warned of the upcoming ultra-wealthy “tech industrial complex,” stating that he believes it could hold unchecked power over Americans. With the uprising of platforms like X and Instagram, many believe this to be true. When a social media platform is being used to push specific and articulated ideas online, is it really for the people? Elon Musk has stated that he bought Twitter to halt the advance of the “woke mind virus,” the same “virus” he claims ruined his daughter Vivian Jenna Wilson, who identifies as a transgender woman.
When opening X, posts on the search tab being pushed to users are often ones of Musk’s achievements himself or support for President Trump’s campaign. I have had countless videos on TikTok that seem to be censored after its resurface. Videos with words such as “Hillary Clinton” and “lesbian” were getting 0 views and even being put under review. However, when I uploaded these videos again without these certain words, they began to get traction. It is hard to believe that Americans have free speech on apps that seem to blatantly cater specific content to its audiences.
Musk’s support for Trump’s campaign only continued to flourish through 2024, with exclamations such as “dark, gothic MAGA,” and his most recent spectacle at Trump’s inauguration event. After Musk’s speech at Trump’s inauguration event, he is seen doing a gesture with his arm that is eerily similar to the gesture that Hitler used to do during his reign in Germany. This caused uproar on social media, waging war between his supporters and those who criticized him. Many people tried to justify it as a “Roman Salute,” while others criticizing him, stating, “we’re not in Rome.”
But should we be concerned about the underlying meaning of this hand gesture? With Musk’s political positions and history of antisemitic comments, maybe we should be. Musk has tried interfering with the German parliamentary election campaign and has made clear his anti-democratic positions towards the government. He has shown his support for far-right European powers such as Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni and less support for more left-wing European policies. Many fear Musk’s position on Neo-Nazis, as he recent explained that Germans “focus too much on past guilt and we need to move past that.” He also explained that “children should not be guilty of the sins of their parents, let alone their parents, and their great-grandparents,” with these comments coming just two days before International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Musk’s influence on American politics is not something to take lightly. He has become the unofficial Chief of Government Efficiency, sat in on important phone calls between Trump and Ukraine, and secretly met Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations in New York. We should not ignore the influence that billionaires are starting to have on our country. Many feel as if Musk being a part of Trump’s cabinet puts him in close proximity to new policies and ideas, from Trump’s controversial DEI policies to the recovery of TikTok. These elites are not quick to take the less fortunate population into consideration when making decisions.
Trump recently paused federal funding for programs like food stamps, with this effort being blocked by a federal judge. He has also offered $2 million in pay to federal workers who resign, that is those who don’t agree with him. Money. That is Trump’s top priority, that is the top priority of cabinet members like Musk and it’s the priority of every wealthy person that has any say in what the U.S. government is doing right now. In these times where it doesn’t feel like our government is choosing us, it is important to stay hopeful and stand up for ourselves. The voices of the average Americans deserve to be heard, and we will not be censored and ignored any longer.
