Walter Isaacson: Elon Musk Is Embracing Populist, Nativist, Nationalist, Anti-Immigrant Philosophy

Mitchell Elon Musk the ░░░░░░░░ s richest man and ░░░░░░░░ Trump s top adviser ░░░░░░░░ endorsing Germany s far ░░░░░░░░ political party ahead of ░░░░░░░░ elections there next month ░░░░░░░░ spoke to the party ░░░░░░░░ video Link over the ░░░░░░░░ and he drew a ░░░░░░░░ of backlash with these ░░░░░░░░ about Nazi Germany Clip ░░░░░░░░ Musk Frankly too much ░░░░░░░░ a focus on past ░░░░░░░░ and we need to ░░░░░░░░ beyond that Children should ░░░░░░░░ be guilty of the ░░░░░░░░ of their parents or ░░░░░░░░ let alone their parents ░░░░░░░░ great grandparents Clip ends ░░░░░░░░ Those comments came just ░░░░░░░░ after Musk made that ░░░░░░░░ at an inauguration event ░░░░░░░░ looked to many people ░░░░░░░░ a Nazi salute to ░░░░░░░░ although he has denied ░░░░░░░░ categorically And joining me ░░░░░░░░ is Professor and Author ░░░░░░░░ Isaacson who spent two ░░░░░░░░ following Elon Musk for ░░░░░░░░ best selling book Elon ░░░░░░░░ and is a professor ░░░░░░░░ Tulane University So I ░░░░░░░░ wondering from your understanding ░░░░░░░░ him what is it ░░░░░░░░ the far right anti ░░░░░░░░ views that seem to ░░░░░░░░ Elon Musk because Germany ░░░░░░░░ a law has laws ░░░░░░░░ of don t forget ░░░░░░░░ fighting anti Semitism I ░░░░░░░░ been there and done ░░░░░░░░ on this So what ░░░░░░░░ s saying to them ░░░░░░░░ you know don t ░░░░░░░░ attention to what happened ░░░░░░░░ contradictory to German policy ░░░░░░░░ I think that Musk ░░░░░░░░ my book that chapter ░░░░░░░░ called The rabbit hole ░░░░░░░░ see him really embracing ░░░░░░░░ somewhat conspiracist populist nativist ░░░░░░░░ anti immigrant philosophies and ░░░░░░░░ think it builds up ░░░░░░░░ his life His father ░░░░░░░░ his grandparents on his ░░░░░░░░ s side all had ░░░░░░░░ ways And as you ░░░░░░░░ Andrea you see this ░░░░░░░░ around the world at ░░░░░░░░ moment there s nativist ░░░░░░░░ nationalistic sometimes called right ░░░░░░░░ although I m not ░░░░░░░░ sure what wings it ░░░░░░░░ belongs to And it ░░░░░░░░ happening with the AfD ░░░░░░░░ Germany but of course ░░░░░░░░ s happening with Marine ░░░░░░░░ Pen in France And ░░░░░░░░ rumblings of it are ░░░░░░░░ deeply anti immigration in ░░░░░░░░ of massive asylum seeking ░░░░░░░░ But in Musk s ░░░░░░░░ it s combined as ░░░░░░░░ know with the desire ░░░░░░░░ legal immigrants those who ░░░░░░░░ H 1B visas those ░░░░░░░░ are engineers So I ░░░░░░░░ that his views you ░░░░░░░░ see it in the ░░░░░░░░ throughout his life starting ░░░░░░░░ embrace this sense but ░░░░░░░░ s not all that ░░░░░░░░ from what s happening ░░░░░░░░ the world today with ░░░░░░░░ populist nativist anti immigration ░░░░░░░░ Mitchell Except for of ░░░░░░░░ the anti Semitism is ░░░░░░░░ here as well and ░░░░░░░░ he has a White ░░░░░░░░ office He has more ░░░░░░░░ on the President of ░░░░░░░░ United States and more ░░░░░░░░ or very many contracts ░░░░░░░░ contracts and others So ░░░░░░░░ raises questions about his ░░░░░░░░ power right now over ░░░░░░░░ Trump How do you ░░░░░░░░ that Because when you ░░░░░░░░ reporting on him he ░░░░░░░░ not in love with ░░░░░░░░ Trump ISAACSON No he ░░░░░░░░ not in love with ░░░░░░░░ Trump I think he ░░░░░░░░ Donald Trump in my ░░░░░░░░ you know a charlatan ░░░░░░░░ a con man And ░░░░░░░░ he said you know ░░░░░░░░ he reminds me of ░░░░░░░░ father And Musk has ░░░░░░░░ very complex relationship with ░░░░░░░░ own father they don ░░░░░░░░ speak really but his ░░░░░░░░ has that same type ░░░░░░░░ very I would say ░░░░░░░░ and extreme views and ░░░░░░░░ a fabulist And so ░░░░░░░░ s an interesting tale ░░░░░░░░ since Musk was a ░░░░░░░░ being beaten up and ░░░░░░░░ abused by his father ░░░░░░░░ up by other kids ░░░░░░░░ he was young He ░░░░░░░░ being the X Man ░░░░░░░░ person coming in to ░░░░░░░░ to save humanity And ░░░░░░░░ he s bonded with ░░░░░░░░ Trump especially on the ░░░░░░░░ of cutting back regulations ░░░░░░░░ federal spending and streamlining ░░░░░░░░ There are a lot ░░░░░░░░ other people in the ░░░░░░░░ orbit who embrace a ░░░░░░░░ of populist nativism such ░░░░░░░░ Steve Bannon But you ░░░░░░░░ a split within the ░░░░░░░░ community where Bannon was ░░░░░░░░ to get rid of ░░░░░░░░ Musk because you know ░░░░░░░░ Musk is part of ░░░░░░░░ tech utopianism that Steve ░░░░░░░░ and others reject.”