Elon Musk’s wildly unhinged debut at Donald Trump’s Pennsylvania rally on Saturday called for an Ocean Spray-fresh wave of mockery across social media, birthing the moniker “Dork MAGA” as a comical twist on the already-silly “Dark MAGA” label Musk proudly claimed during the event.
Like Tigger from Winnie, the tech billionaire sprang onto the stage in Butler, PA, Pooh, sporting a black “Make America Great Again” cap and jumping around like an attention-seeking golden retriever puppy. Musk’s entrance and subsequent speech quickly became rich material for jesters and critics.
“I am not just MAGA — I am Dark MAGA,” Musk declared in his pick-me energy, unwittingly providing ammunition to those who absolutely could resist yet another chance to lampoon him to the moon and back. “Dark MAGA,” wrote Giulia Carbonaro in 2022, is “a post-alt-right aesthetic that promotes an authoritarian version of Trump in dystopian, Terminator-like images.” Social media jokesters wasted little time rebranding his performance as “Dork MAGA,” highlighting the disconnect between Musk’s tech mogul “me, businessman” image and his attempt at any remotely serious political rhetoric.
Former Trump campaign adviser AJ Delgado didn’t mince words, tweeting: “What a horrible public speaker Elon is…. my goodness—I’m cringing.” She added, “Elon, never wear a baseball cap again. They do not work on you. This is all super low energy.”
Ron Filipkowski, a former federal prosecutor and frequent Trump critic, didn’t hold back either. “This might be the cringiest s*** I’ve ever seen in politics,” he tweeted, sharing a clip of Musk’s ridiculous stage entrance.
The content of Musk’s speech also drew necessary criticism, which is also where it got problematic and somewhat unsettling given his fanatics’ alt-right lean. He warned ominously that “this will be the last election” if Trump doesn’t win, echoing ironic and completely unfounded claims about threats to fair elections. This language is where the “Dark MAGA” rhetoric comes in, as the far-right fanaticism threatens a nastier, more racist version of Trump, like some weird neo-Nazi Fortnite upgrade.
While some Republican figures praised Musk’s endorsement as potentially influential, given his massive social media following, many observers viewed the appearance as a misstep for the somewhat media-savvy entrepreneur. The contrast between Musk’s heavily-bought and borrowed tech industry background and his newfound role as a political provocateur struck many as incongruous and ripe for ridicule.
Musk’s comical and possibly treacherous foray into Trump’s middling campaign has certainly made an impression, though perhaps not in the manner either he or campaign managers had likely hoped. The broad mockery of his appearance underscores the potential pitfalls arrogant and ungrounded public figures face when diving headfirst into an empty pool of partisan politics, especially in such a weird, unbridled manner. It’s especially rich knowing Trump doesn’t respect him.
With an election looming just a month away, the impact of Musk’s enthusiastic endorsement remains uncertain at best. Who knows if it will sway voters, but there is no way the “Dork MAGA” ridicule gives Trump’s handlers increased enthusiasm.
Published: Oct 7, 2024 07:14 am