After this photo, people are wondering if Trump is losing patience with Elon Musk - INTO
Silly Simp-phonies

After this photo, people are wondering if Trump is losing patience with Elon Musk

Elon Musk joins former President Donald Trump on stage as Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Butler, Pa., on October 5, 2024. On July 13, 2024, a gunman fired eight rounds at the former president and Republican presidential nominee during a rally in Butler. Trump was grazed by a bullet in the attack, and Pennsylvania firefighter Corey Comperatore was killed as he tried to shield his family from the attack. Two other men were injured.

Imagine being such a tool that you count a Donald J. Trump political rally as the most exciting outing of your adult life. Couldn’t be us! But it certainly could be Elon Musk, who was seen leaping for joy at a Trump event last week.

Now I’ve seen plenty of images of disgusting men in my life, but this one has special resonance. Both men manage to look like Madame Tussauds waxwork creations in natural light, and the whole vibe feels like an ad for Fyre Festival 2: The Happening.

But never let it be said that Musk didn’t give us anything, because now his leaping figure is being repurposed in some of the silliest, most hilarious memes we’ve seen this week.

The late, great Leslie Jordan sadly (or maybe blessedly?) didn’t live long enough to see his “daddy watch me twirl” video find its perfect counterpoint in this image.

It’s also somehow the best application of Charles Grodin’s “human boy” speech from 1994’s Clifford.

https://twitter.com/AprilTweethound/status/1842758140506349729

He just fits right in anywhere.

https://twitter.com/Elamimaxima/status/1843019306050920575

The fact that Musk is a living human man and not a King of the Hill character is gently baffling.

But people are noticing something even more cringe about this photo, if you can believe it.

It really says something when the few people you can get to support you annoy the hell out of you.

When you managed to gross out the world’s grossest man, it might be time to step back and consider your actions.

From the start Trump and Musk have been strange bedfellows in the fight against…people wanting the government to be less of a clown show. But it’s looking like Musk could get kicked out of the royal bedchamber any second now, probably to make room for Laura Loomer.

https://twitter.com/kthorjensen/status/1842742330383913390

That’s the thing: people who have lost all good will and who keep going out of their way to shame and embarrass their own children are going to end up exposing themselves to far worse embarrassment in the long run. Though when it comes to Musk, it’s hard to say how much more embarrassing things can really get.

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Henry Giardina (he/they) is the editor of INTO. He lives in Los Angeles. Past publications include the New York Times, The Believer, The New Yorker, The Paris Review Daily, The Atlantic, Film Comment, and Gizmodo. He is @punkgroucho on Twitter.