Summary

MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell criticized Donald Trump’s Oval Office press conference with Elon Musk, calling it “the most powerless image of a president” ever.

Musk dominated the event—standing over Trump, speaking more words, and violating White House norms with his casual attire and child’s presence.

O’Donnell contrasted Musk’s influence with Trump’s past and present vice presidents, arguing that neither Mike Pence nor JD Vance would challenge Trump’s authority in such a manner.

  • atzanteol@sh.itjust.works
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    3 months ago

    violating White House norms with his casual attire and child’s presence.

    He also had a 5 year old with him.

  • cmoney
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    3 months ago

    Weird how one CEO gets Luigied and suddenly it’s bring your kid to work day for president Musk.

  • ExtremeDullard@lemmy.sdf.org
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    3 months ago

    Also, who wears a basebal cap and a T-shirt, and brings his four-year old who - like any four-year old - can’t shut the hell up in the oval office? I mean honestly, who is this guy? Just because he has money doesn’t give him the right to turn the presidency into a fucking daycare center. He could at least pretend to respect the institution a little bit…

    • Hideakikarate@sh.itjust.works
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      3 months ago

      The 4 year old is nothing more than a meat shield. Remember how right after the CEO shooting, Elmo started carrying one of his brood with him?

    • themeatbridge
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      3 months ago

      Just because he has money doesn’t give him the right

      Gonna stop you there, friend, and remind you that this is America. Yes it does.

    • A_A
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      3 months ago

      On the other hand, maybe the most sensible things might have come from the 4-year-old … Do we have an official statement from the child ?
      P.S. : first time ever I’m not writing down the usual /sarcasm

        • A_A
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          3 months ago

          if only that was the only statements coming out of the White House, it would be the best one ever

      • Psychadelligoat@lemmy.dbzer0.comBanned from community
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        3 months ago

        We kinda do, the kid basically said what sounds like parroting daddy with "they’ll never know evil toddler laugh’ when he overheard discussion of voting machines or some shit

        • A_A
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          3 months ago

          “Out of the mouths of babes … comes words of honesty, of truth”

        • A_A
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          3 months ago

          You are right ; there is no sarcasm. So, i should have said : it’s worthy of “Not The Onion” … or such.

    • Goodmorningsunshine
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      3 months ago

      At this point th presidency is meaningless and vomitous anyway. I don’t care if they just start wearing wife beaters and golf shorts - they truly can’t bring the position or country any lower.

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    3 months ago

    I’m sure the right wingers complaining about Zelensky not wearing a suit are incandescent with rage about Musks lack of decorum.

  • flop_leash_973
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    3 months ago

    You want to get rid of Musk, stuff like this is how you do it.

    Publicly make Trump out to be the lessor power in the relationship and his ego won’t be able to handle it. Look how fast he lost his shit during that debate with Harris when the subject of his crowd size came up.

    • njm1314
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      3 months ago

      I really think people who say this aren’t reading the room. It’s not the same old Trump. This is an old broken down mentally deficient Trump. This isn’t a case of an alliance between equals. This is a case of a grifter taking advantage of a guy too old to make decisions for himself. This is like a guy stealing the Social Security checks , altering the will , and selling assets for his own gain. I mean by all means keep saying it, cuz who knows and it is true, I just don’t think it’ll work. If anything it might be embolding Musk and legitimizing him.

      • gamer@lemm.ee
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        3 months ago

        No one knows what the deal is with that relationship. Maybe this is all part of their plan, maybe Elon has dirt on Trump, maybe he’s brainwashed and neuralink is more advanced than is publicly known. Maybe they’re both being blackmailed, and Joe Biden is the one really pulling the strings, and he’s trying to destroy the country as revenge for Harris?

        There are a lot of equally likely possibilities here, so we shouldn’t try to jump to conclusions.

        • irreticent@lemmy.zip
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          3 months ago

          Maybe they’re both being blackmailed, and Joe Biden is the one really pulling the strings, and he’s trying to destroy the country as revenge for Harris?

          There are a lot of equally likely possibilities here

          LOL!

    • leadore
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      3 months ago

      Publicly make Trump out to be the lessor power in the relationship and his ego won’t be able to handle it.

      That’s what I’ve thought until now, but after that display I don’t think he’ll do anything to Musk, who it seems really does have some power over him–the money of course, but maybe something else too–maybe some dirt, maybe something in conjunction with Putin. But to let that little brat say those things[*] to him and his only reaction was to be submissive and look away tells me Musk really is the one in control here. This is actually scary.

      [*] “You’re not the president, you need to go away” and “I want you to shut your fucking mouth up”

      • Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works
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        3 months ago

        tips tinfoil hat

        He rigged the election for him… Even if it didn’t cause the win, if he has irrefutable proof he rigged the election then he can bring Trump down with him. He could boost it into everyone’s Twitter feeds that he didn’t actually win and they would be forced to do something about it.

        • leadore
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          3 months ago

          That’s a good one, though I’m not sure even that would turn his followers against him or get the republican party to willingly give up the power they’ve gained. Though, maybe it would get the military to defy their fox news boss and oust him.

      • tamal3
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        3 months ago

        Wait, what is this * part of your comment? I guess I missed some piece of these insane news cycles.

        • leadore
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          3 months ago

          I’ve seen several clips from the press conference of “Little X” saying those things to trump, in an audible whisper. You should be able to find them with a search, or if not I can try to find them in my history. Trump sits hunched, looks briefly at the kid then looks away in a defeated manner (like a dog!) while musk rambles on. Anyone else, trump would have said to get the kid out of there, it’s bizarre.

      • joker125
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        3 months ago

        This is 2016 Trump coming home to roost

  • But_my_mom_says_im_cool
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    3 months ago

    Fucking love it when articles are specifically about a photo but they don’t post the fucking photo

  • Rhoeri
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    3 months ago

    Wormtongue has made himself very cosy in his new home it would seem.

  • ExtremeDullard@lemmy.sdf.org
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    3 months ago

    Poor kid is named X. What stupid assholes his parents are: he’s gonna have to bear that stupid name all his life.

    Then again, he could have been called Twitter I guess…

      • chaogomu
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        3 months ago

        Except Republicans are pushing anti-trans laws to prevent people from changing their names. The current proposal floating around would prevent married women from voting because they take on their husband’s last name.

        • Dashi
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          3 months ago

          What proposal is that? I would like to spread the information if you have a link

        • TheDoozer
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          3 months ago

          Great reason to get rid of the dumb archaic practice in the first place. I repeatedly told my wife she shouldn’t feel any pressure to take my name. She did anyway, but I think it was just because she liked it more.

          Anyway, sacrificing your ability to vote in order to take your husbands last name might have the oh so unfortunate side effect of keeping trad wives from voting.

          • MutilationWave
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            3 months ago

            My wife kept her name when we got married ten years ago. It has only caused minimal problems with bureaucracy.

      • MumboJumbo
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        3 months ago

        X is 88 in decimal? Musk’s obsession with that letter finally makes sense

  • Iheartcheese
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    3 months ago

    Elon’s kid made a fucking bitch of trump on live television and we can never go back from that moment

  • ShadowRam@fedia.io
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    3 months ago

    label musk as alpha and trump as beta in this picture (not that I believe in those labels but they do)

    Then post it all over x-itter like crazy… Don’t let it die… make this ‘a thing’

    And then watch Musk have the conundrum as to whether to take it down or not…

    His ego wouldn’t let him take it down, and make Donny Dump respond to it…

  • BMTea
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    3 months ago

    I have never seen Trump act more servile towards anyone than when he pulled a chair out for Netanyahu.

  • nimble@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    3 months ago

    Star trek deep space nine spoilers

    Their relationship is like grand nagus zek

    and ishka. Ishka wasnt allowed to do business under ferengi law due to being a woman. So she got close to zek and was acting behind the scenes to help maintain zeks appearance during his mental decline.

    Musk, being an illegal immigrant, wouldn’t have been able to be president directly. One difference being musk is clearly leading in the spotlight.

    • jaybone
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      3 months ago

      I understand this analogy.

      I use arch, btw.