Elon Musk, a man who has made a career out of defying convention, has now made his way to Donald Trump’s Thanksgiving table, sparking a predictable maelstrom of outrage and over-analysis.
The image of Musk, seated beside the president-elect—a man who, by definition, holds the most powerful office on Earth—has proven too rich a tableau for the political commentariat to resist. But what does it tell us, really? Less, perhaps, about Musk or Trump and more about the desperate state of public discourse.
Commentators on CNN were quick to ask why Musk was not spending the holiday with his family. One would have thought they’d check the seating chart before charging in: Musk’s mother was right there. And as a divorced man, single by all accounts, where else should he be?
A better question might be: Who wouldn’t seize the chance to dine with a president-elect?
But the fundamental issue here is not Musk’s presence at Trump’s table but his glaring absence from Biden’s. It’s worth noting that Musk was never the first choice of Biden’s billionaire class. He has always been the ugly duckling, left off the invitation list despite his groundbreaking work. Even after being called upon to bail out NASA, Musk remained outside the inner circle—like the nerd stereotype who helps the popular kids with their homework but is never invited to the prom.
Musk was never the first choice of Biden’s billionaire class. He has always been the ugly duckling, left off the invitation list despite his groundbreaking work.
Ksenija Pavlovic McAteer
No matter how innovative his contributions to technology and industry, Musk was never deemed “good enough” by the Biden administration’s clique. The snub at the White House EV summit wasn’t just an oversight; it was emblematic of a deeper disdain. And yet, here he is now, seated at Trump’s table, perhaps for the first time feeling seen, heard, and valued.
It is not wealth Musk seeks—he is, after all, richer than the president-elect himself. Nor is it influence, as he already wields significant power through X, his social media platform. But perhaps this Thanksgiving moment is less about material or political capital and more about validation. At Trump’s table, Musk is no longer the outsider. Instead, he is the guest of honor, reveling in a recognition long denied him by the establishment.
Thanksgiving, traditionally a holiday of unity, has been hijacked by political performance art. This year, Biden used the Thanksgiving occasion to remind us of the “exceedingly small number of people” who still consume mainstream television and newspapers. A pointed remark, no doubt, but one that misses the irony: The same commentators who questioned Musk’s presence at Trump’s table are emblematic of an industry that cannot fathom perspectives outside its own ideological bubble. Their indignant incredulity is both their shtick and their downfall.
At Trump’s table, Musk is no longer the outsider. Instead, he is the guest of honor, reveling in a recognition long denied him by the establishment.
Ksenija Pavlovic McAteer
Musk, for his part, has always been a Rorschach test for American society—genius or charlatan, savior or villain, depending on which network you watch. His decision to join Trump on Thanksgiving might be seen as an act of rebellion, or simply as a shrewd understanding of power and its proximity.
And let’s not forget the delicious absurdity of it all: Thanksgiving, a holiday about gratitude and family, has been co-opted into yet another tribalistic battleground. It’s as though the nation cannot sit down to eat without asking which team you’re playing for. Thanksgiving may still be a time for turkey and stuffing, but the table, like so much else in America, has been set for division. And Elon Musk? With Trump’s family, he has found a sense of belonging denied by the Establishment.
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