As we quickly approach the 4th of July I want to touch upon the “feud” between President Donald J. Trump and Elon Musk. More than that, I want to explain why I have long believed both men personify the courage, vision, and sacrifice of our Founding Fathers and why they — and our nation — are stronger and more protected united than apart.
I know a bit about our Founding Fathers because I spent months “living” in the 1776 timeframe. I did so because a few years ago — exactly on the 4th of July — I listened to far-left activist after far-left activist calling for not only the smearing of our Founding Fathers, but the cancellation of the 4th of July and the American flag.
Later that same day, I called my publisher to say that I immediately wanted to put out a book not only warning of this multi-pronged attack upon our Founding Fathers and the American Flag but outline how Americans could get engaged to protect those who created the greatest nation on the face of the earth. After one minute of conversation, my publisher agreed and “The 56 – Liberty Lessons from those who Risked All to Sign The Declaration of Independence” was born.
Because I did “live” in that 1776 timeframe for months it became readily apparent to me what separated those fifty-six men and the rest of our Founding Fathers from the elites of their time. Of the fifty-six, a number were exceedingly wealthy. In today’s world, many would have been the equivalent of billionaires. Back in 1776, the vast majority of the wealthy in the Colonies either remained silent, or openly became “Loyalists” to the British Crown. Why? They did not want to rock the boat or risk their wealth and privilege.
Not our Founding Fathers. And most especially not the 56 men who literally signed their own death warrants when they put their names to The Declaration of Independence. Those men not only asked themselves the two most important questions of their lives, but the two questions which ultimately created our nation: “If not me, who? If not now, when?”
Now, jump ahead about 240 years to 2015, when then-iconic New York City businessman Trump paused to ask himself those same two questions. He truly felt that the country he loved was being destroyed from within by ideologues, self-serving-politicians, and the “swamp” that controlled them.
Like so many of the elite and wealthy of 1776, Trump could have easily said “I need none of this and will stay on the sidelines building a global business empire while letting others with means and ability try to save the nation I love.” But…he did not. He could not.
He decided to jump into the 2016 election with both feet, and by doing so put all he had created at great risk via relentless and vicious attacks from the Deep State, the far-left, and their handmaidens in the media. More than that, he willingly put his very life at risk and came within a 1/16th of an inch of losing it in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Next, jump ahead to October of 2022 when Elon Musk not only bought Twitter, but exposed it as quite possibly the largest censorship machine on the planet. A “machine” which was constantly working to either attack Trump and his supporters — as well as free speech in general — or censor any information which would validate their policies and opinion.
Many on the left — including in politics, the media, and academia — became unhinged with hatred for Musk for not only buying Twitter but exposing censorship and reenabling free-speech. A hate which grew one hundred-fold when, just thirty minutes after Trump turned his ahead at precisely the right split-second and saved his own life as a would-be assassin’s bullet tore through his ear and literally singed his hair, Musk offered a full-throated endorsement of Trump for President. A hatred which then went ballistic when, after Trump won, Musk became the face of the “Department of Government Efficiency.”
Obviously, with each of those three decisions Musk knew the far-left was going to come after him with a vengeance. And yet, he still chose to ask himself those two questions: “If not me, who? If not now, when?” And by doing so, also put his business empire and life at great risk.
Unlike the often-cowardly elites in 1776, President Trump and Elon Musk did stand up and risk everything when so many others chose to hide in the shadows. And because they did, both have paid a tremendous price in so many ways.
And now, their relationship is at least temporarily on the outs. Even with that, they have something in common with our Founding Fathers. A number of our Founding Fathers had bitter disagreements from time to time. Most especially Thomas Jefferson and John Adams.
Men who, like Trump and Musk, build an incredibly strong bond of friendship before things began to unravel and personal accusations flew. Much of it quite ugly. Some of it false. But then, those two Founding Fathers — both U.S. Presidents with Jefferson succeeding Adams — found it in them for the good of the new nation they had created to move on and rekindle the friendship.
In some very real ways, it is no exaggeration to say that Trump and Musk are the fathers of the new Liberty movement in the U.S. and around the world. Their courage, vision, and sacrifice did help to spawn it.
I suspect that Trump and Musk, like Jefferson and Adams before them, will put aside their feud for the greater good of that new liberty movement. They are much stronger together than apart. And so is our country.
Douglas MacKinnon is a former White House and Pentagon official and author of the book: The 56 – Liberty Lessons from those who risked all to sign The Declaration of Independence. Follow him @DougOfSkye.
