During Donald Trump’s first term, governments around the world prepared for their morning social media posts. What policy would be revoked, what insult would be hurled? Four years later, diplomats get nervous again when the sun rises on the east coast of the United States.
Back then, they learned to take Trump – as the saying went – “seriously, but not literally.” Despite many campaign promises, he did not take the United States out of NATO or lock up Hilary Clinton. But can ministers remain so optimistic a second time?
Trump’s latest morning attack criticized the UK government’s decision to raise taxes on oil and fuel companies working in the North Sea, in part to help fund renewable energy.
On his platform, Social Reality, Trump responded to a report about a US oil company leaving the region, saying: “The UK is making a very big mistake. Open the North Sea. Get rid of the windmills!”
Was this simply a private defense of an American company by Trump and a repetition of his pro-fossil fuel instincts? Or was it evidence of a greater willingness on the part of the president-elect to intervene in the domestic policies of his own ally?
The main difference – four years later – is that Trump is no longer alone at the keyboard; His increasingly powerful traveling companion, Elon Musk, is even more prolific, using his own platform, X, to attack the British government across the board. He has criticized his handling of last summer’s riots, the functioning of the economy and now, especially, his attitude to the child abuse scandals.
Musk has posted a torrent of tweets personally attacking Sir Keir Starmer, accusing the prime minister of not doing enough to prosecute childcare gangs while he was director of public prosecutions.
British politicians cannot stop these messages from across the Atlantic. But they can control their reaction. During Trump’s first term, governments (and newsrooms) learned to pause and take a moment before responding to (or reporting on) the latest electronic missives from the White House.
So far, conservatives have chosen to compromise and echo Musk’s agenda. Party leader Kemi Badenoch said a full national investigation into organized grooming gangs I was “very late”.
Public address mediaBut conservatives objected to Musk’s apparent support for jailed far-right activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson.
Musk has shared several posts on X calling for the release of Yaxley-Lennon, who was imprisoned in October after admitting contempt of court by repeating false accusations against a Syrian refugee.
Alicia Kearns, the Conservative shadow safeguarding minister, said it was “frankly dangerous” for Musk to “praise people like Tommy Robinson.”
As for the Labor Party, it appears keen to avoid falling out with one of the world’s richest men who could one day bankroll a rival political party. Nigel Farage’s Reform Party has said Musk is among “several billionaires” interested in donating money to his campaigns.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said Musk’s comments on child grooming scandals were “misjudged and certainly misinformed” but called on the billionaire to work with the UK government to tackle online child abuse.
UK politicians aren’t the only ones targeted by Musk’s increasingly outlandish interventions. He has described German Chancellor Olaf Scholz as a “fool” and the country’s head of state, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, as “an undemocratic tyrant.” He has also called President Justin Trudeau of Canada “an insufferable tool” who “won’t be in power for long.”
Monitoring closely
So once again, the challenge for politicians in Britain and around the world is to determine which, if any, of these social media outbursts and interventions deserve a response.
In Whitehall, there is some hope the arrival of Lord Mandelson as the new British ambassador could help stem the flow of personal vituperation across the Atlantic.
Importance is also given to Trump’s affection for the United Kingdom and the Current Family; He had a good meeting with the Prince of Wales in Paris in December after the inauguration of Notre Dame.
Other officials are even reflecting that the relationship between Trump and Musk could prove too combustible in office.
But for now officials are closely monitoring their schedules. American social media diplomacy is back and some of it is headed our way.
