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Elon, Trump & DeSantis’s People… What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

So Trump’s campaign has tacitly endorsed DeSantis’s former operatives’ ability to restock Elon Musk’s super PAC with their old buddies, all in the spirit of reelecting 45? Unsurprisingly, the blame game has begun.

elon musk trump tower
While it seemed predictable that Trump aides would balk at the specter of DeSantii entering the picture, the emergence of Musk adds a whole new wrinkle. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Tara Palmeri
September 6, 2024

One memorable hallmark of the semi-existent 2024 Republican primary was the Trump campaign’s visceral hatred for Ron DeSantis, and their ceaseless mockery of his behemoth super PAC, Never Back Down, which famously spent $130 million in Iowa—only to lose the January caucus by a whopping 30 points. DeSantis immediately dropped out, sheepishly endorsed Trump, and eventually wormed his way back into the former president’s good graces at least far enough to get a speaking slot at the R.N.C.