What a difference a week makes!

By J. Basil Dannebohm

Last week I wrote a commentary entitled, “Grading Elon: Rocketman's realistic report card.” In it, I laid out the numbers indicating DOGE was a complete failure. The piece was met with the usual, highly predictable responses from the far-right: “Fake News,” “Go Elon, MAGA baby!”

The Publisher of The Anderson County Review in Garnett, Kansas sent me an email which read: “LOL Nice try dude..MAGA!!”

For the record, I’m 43 years-old – not 23. I’m not exactly a “dude.” I’m also a stranger to this individual, who receives my commentaries via a mailing list; including “LOL” as though the message was a text betwixt longtime drinking buddies is slightly juvenile. But it’s not the first “LOL” I’ve received from this publisher. Earlier this year, he sent me a message that read: “LOL- nice try. Maybe you'd prefer the gender confused fetal murdering Kamala Harris in the Oval? Much more along your lines of Christian teaching I'm sure. Don't forget... a bankrupt America can't tythe. When you're done pouting, you might try helping Make America Great Again.”

What a difference a few days make! In that relatively short span of time, the MAGA cult did an about-face on Mr. Musk. Critiques of my previous column were magically disappearing.

Most of us know what led to Elon going from hero to zero with the far-right. Not since Degrassi was on the air have I seen so much juvenile drama. It wasn’t just Trump and Musk, either. Mike Johnson, Steve Bannon, and other narcissistic GOP grifters joined the very public cat fight. But this isn't a teen television drama. This is the United States government. These are supposedly the "strong men," the "tough guys," the ones who claimed they were going to "make America great."

This isn't greatness.

This is making America a laughingstock around the world. DOGE was, in fact, a failure. The on-again, off-again tariffs were a farce that earned Trump the nickname TACO on Wall Street, an acronym for “Trump Always Chickens Out.” The pardons have been disgraceful and downright obscene. The Executive Orders are a pathetic means by which to pander to his base. The "Big, Beautiful Bill" is reckless and ugly. The gaslighting has rivaled that of the Branch Davidian.

But the MAGA cult is eating this up in spades. To them, a government that operates like a rivalry akin to that which they see on football, ‘wrasslin',’ or reality shows is solid gold. Verily, we are a confederacy of dunces.

As for the latest DC drama in the continuing saga since Trump’s return?

When the GOP formed an alliance with Elon Musk they made a deal with the devil. It fell apart "bigly" and "beautifully." Helen Keller could have seen this coming. Trump is a malignant narcissist who doesn't share the spotlight; so is Elon Musk. There's a reason Donald gave Elon unbridled power and let him hold court in the Oval Office -- because he's grossly indebted to Musk somehow.

Republican Theodore Roosevelt once said, “To educate a man in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society."

Trusting an unhinged, drugged up sociopath with secrets and strategy was a rookie mistake. It's only a matter of time before Elon starts revealing the underhanded deeds he did for the Republicans. He feels jaded. When an unstable person feels scorned, it's always messy. After the President and his Congressional cronies realize Musk is becoming too outspoken, one of two things will occur: They will make peace and resume sucking up, or Elon will be silenced somehow. He knows too much. He's done too much. He's dangerous.

The Musk/GOP alliance was the equivalent of Hades making a deal with Osiris. It's fire against fire. Nobody involved will walk away unscathed. The honeymoon is over. The house of cards is falling.

Unless it was all an act aimed at diversion. If the tough “guise” kiss and make up, one is inclined to wonder if the entire falling out was simply a well-orchestrated distraction to keep our attention off the “Big Beautiful Bill.”

After all, billionaires in the U.S. now hold a record $7 trillion in wealth, a $4.1 trillion increase since Trump’s last “tax break.” As political economist Robert Reich noted, “The 35 richest Republican members of Congress have a collective net worth of $2.5 billion. They stand to gain from the GOP budget's tax cuts that disproportionately help the rich. Meanwhile, they're cutting Medicaid and food assistance for millions of their constituents.”

“Golden age,” indeed.