Imperial ambitions of Trump and Musk

January 19, 2025

Imperial ambitions of Trump and Musk

Recently, the rhetoric and actions of some prominent leaders including US president-elect Donald Trump and Tesla CEO and Trump’s political lieutenant, Elon Musk, have triggered widespread alarm and global concern, with a significant rise in jingoistic statements and imperial ambitions. These actions not only disrupt the geopolitical equilibrium but also reflect a troubling disregard for global cooperation and peace. This shift in tone has reverberated particularly in the foreign policy and international diplomacy spheres, fuelling tensions across the world. The disillusionment caused by Trump’s approach to international relations and Musk’s controversial statements has been keenly felt by many.

During his presidency (2016-2020), Donald Trump was often accused of fostering a brand of jingoism that resonated with a certain faction of the American electorate, often at the expense of diplomatic nuance. His America First mantra, meant to prioritise national interests, has been frequently criticised for inciting isolationism and undermining established international alliances. Even more disturbing to many observers was Trump’s open hostility toward longstanding allies and his calls for more aggressive policies on the global stage.

Trump’s aggressive stance on issues such as the status of Greenland, his inflammatory comments regarding the Panama Canal and the resurgence of territorial claims have sent shockwaves throughout the international community. His threats to claim Greenland, a territory under Danish sovereignty, and his assertion of dominance over the Panama Canal, a critical international waterway, epitomised a new brand of neo-imperialist rhetoric reminiscent of the age of colonialism.

Trump has consistently antagonised traditional US allies, including Canada, Britain, Germany and Denmark. These allies, once considered steadfast pillars of American foreign policy, have been subjected to hostile rhetoric and unprecedented demands, making it clear that Trump’s approach to international relations will be marked by a lack of empathy for historical allies.

His administration’s stance on international conflicts such as Ukraine and Gaza, and the general treatment of the US-Russia standoff, may be characterided by a dismissive attitude that ignores the complexities of international diplomacy. Analysts who had hoped that a Trump presidency would lead to a de-escalation of tensions and a withdrawal from international entanglements have been proven wrong.

Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur behind Tesla and Space X, has also been a source of contention. Musk’s provocative remarks, including statements that have been perceived as Islamophobic, have created deep discomfort, especially among Muslim communities worldwide. His comments — sometimes off-hand or made in jest — have caused significant harm by perpetuating harmful stereotypes about Muslims, a group that is already facing increasing marginalisation in many parts of the world.

Musk’s public persona, bolstered by his massive social media influence, tends to exacerbate existing animosities. Some of this recent posts have included inaccuracies and treated a widely covered issue as if it had never been mentioned.

In recent weeks Elon Musk has waded into British politics, using his social media platform X to target and spread unsubstantiated rumours about Prime Minister Keir Starmer and other members of his Labour government. In a series of inflammatory posts to his 211 million followers, Musk has accused Starmer and other Labour Party lawmakers of enabling Britain’s so-called grooming gangs.

This term refers to a scandal involving a number of child sex abuse cases in which girls were assaulted and raped by groups of men in various towns and cities. A majority of the offenders were alleged to be of British Pakistani descent. Musk’s posts have been riddled with inaccuracies, presenting a highly publicised issue as if it were a recent discovery. These comments have refocused attention on a deeply painful child sexual exploitation scandal that has long fuelled heated debates on race, immigration and abuse in Britain.

His stance on issues of global significance, including his approach to the war in Gaza and his suggestions about foreign policy, have drawn backlash, particularly in the Middle East and from Muslim-majority countries. His rhetoric only adds to the polarisation and friction between the US and the Muslim world, undermining efforts toward diplomacy and cross-cultural understanding.

In a world that increasingly requires cooperation across cultural and national boundaries, Musk’s controversial comments and actions can only crystalise fault lines between the US and its international counterparts. His dismissive approach to the sensitive issues of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, along with his apparent disregard for the complex history of the region, has added fuel to the fire. These comments not only deepen existing animosities but have also undermined the moral authority of the United States in its dealings with the Muslim world.

Both Trump and Musk’s actions seem to reflect what Yale historian Paul Kennedy identified in his seminal work, The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers. Kennedy’s thesis of “imperial overstretch” argues that great powers throughout history have often overreached, pushing their military and economic capacities beyond sustainable limits. This process, according to Kennedy, leads to a decline in their global influence as they become entangled in conflicts and are unable to balance the demands of global dominance with the need to maintain internal stability.

Trump’s embrace of jingoism and territorial assertions, along with his confrontational stance toward other nations, can be seen as a modern manifestation of this concept. Trump’s attempt to expand American influence through bold and aggressive postures, whether in territorial disputes like Greenland or the Panama Canal or through his broader foreign policy approach, places the US in a dangerous position of overstretch. These actions have triggered alarm bells across the globe, particularly among the US allies, who fear that the American empire is reaching the limits of its capacity to exert power.

John Mearsheimer, a prominent political scientist, and Jeffrey Sachs, a renowned economist, have presented formulations that serve as a valuable corrective to the policies of leaders like Trump and Musk. Mearsheimer’s work on international relations emphasiaes the dangers of unchecked power projection and the tendency for great powers to overestimate their ability to control global events.

According to Mearsheimer, US foreign policy should focus on balancing power and managing relations with other states, rather than overextending itself in pursuit of dominance. Jeffrey Sachs, on the other hand, has consistently highlighted the need for multilateral cooperation in addressing global challenges such as climate change, economic inequality and conflict resolution.

His approach underscores the importance of diplomacy and international partnerships, often missing from Trump’s rhetoric and Musk’s statements. Sachs’s work challenges the notion that unilateral, aggressive foreign policies can lead to long-term peace or stability. These scholars provide a counterpoint to the aggressive neo-imperialism that Trump and Musk seem to promote. They advocate for a more measured, cooperative approach to global affairs, one that acknowledges the limits of power and the importance of fostering partnerships rather than rivalries.

The brand of jingoism and imperial ambition championed by Donald Trump and amplified by Elon Musk poses a significant threat to global peace and stability. Their actions and statements, which reflect a reckless disregard for diplomatic history and the complexities of international relations, have led to an escalation of tensions with key allies and adversaries.

The theories of imperial overstretch put forth by Paul Kennedy, along with the insights from scholars like John Mearsheimer and Jeffrey Sachs, offer valuable perspectives on the unsustainable nature of such ambitions. As the world grapples with the consequences of this new geopolitical climate, it is crucial for leaders to heed the lessons of history and strive for cooperation and diplomacy, rather than indulging in fantasies of unchecked power.


The writer is a professor in the Faculty of Liberal Arts at the Beaconhouse National University, Lahore

Imperial ambitions of Trump and Musk