When I found the photo above, online, I started to laugh. For that, I will apologize. But I couldn’t help it.
Obviously, this was a happy time for the Broligarchy Airlines, with the bros all enjoying a McDonald’s Happy Meal together, on their way to some vacation spot, or maybe coming back home from a political rally.
There’s nothing quite like a Happy Meal to bring bros together.
But last week, it all seemed to be falling apart. Two of the bros took to attacking and insulting each other, very publicly.
Were the attacks and insults backed up by misinformation? Very possible. I think at least one of the bros is prone to giving out misleading information. At least, that’s what the AI engine ‘Grok’ — developed by Elon Musk’s company xAI — told me recently.
Donald Trump has been documented sharing misleading information on numerous occasions, particularly during his political career. Fact-checking organizations, such as PolitiFact and The Washington Post, have extensively tracked his statements, identifying thousands of false or misleading claims over the years… For example, PolitiFact’s database, which includes over 1,000 fact-checked statements from Trump, rates a significant portion as “False” or “Pants on Fire,” with specific instances like exaggerated claims about job creation or voter fraud in the 2020 election. The Washington Post reported in 2021 that Trump made over 30,000 false or misleading claims during his presidency alone.
‘Grok’ had a similar opinion of Elon Musk’s truthfulness.
Elon Musk has been documented sharing misleading information, particularly on X, where his posts have amassed significant attention. According to a 2024 report by the Center for Countering Digital Hate, Musk posted 50 false or misleading claims about the U.S. election, garnering nearly 1.2 billion views. Examples include… his 2018 tweet claiming “funding secured” to take Tesla private at $420 per share, which was untrue, leading to a $20 million SEC fine for securities fraud.On X, sentiments vary: critics like @PolitiFact note Musk’s amplification of false election and hurricane relief claims, while supporters argue he exercises free speech. His own AI, Grok, acknowledged his role in spreading misinformation, citing his massive reach and X’s reduced content moderation…
So maybe the attacks were pretentious?
But like any healthy masculine person, I find it entertaining to watch men fighting. Watching from a safe distance, of course.
Last week was highly engaging, if you happen to be a humor columnist who knows how to laugh in the face of an impending global disaster.
Admittedly, a nasty divorce is never amusing to the people personally involved. (Ask me how I know.) But it can seem laughable to the rest of us.
The divorce currently getting covered in the national news (which mine was not) is the break-up between Donald Trump, the U.S. President, and Elon Musk, the World’s Wealthiest Man. Two important people known for saying things they know to be false, and also known for being willing to insult their opponents.
Over a period of four furious days, Broligarchy Airlines appeared to be undergoing an uncontrolled descent.
Tuesday, 1:31 p.m.
Musk attacks Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill
Wednesday, 1:57 p.m.
Musk calls for a new spending bill
Thursday, 11:20 a.m.
Musk starts pointing to old Trump tweets
Thursday, noon
Trump addresses the feud during a press conference in the Oval Office.
“Elon and I had a great relationship. I don’t know if we will anymore…”
Did President sensed that the relationship was going south?
I could easily have said something similar about my relationship with my ex-wife Darlene, even the day before she filed for divorce. “Darlene and I have a great relationship”, I could have said.
Sure, we had our little disagreements… about finances, for example. About who was spending too much money. And who wasn’t earning enough money. And why our VISA card debt was so high. Apparently, the people in Washington DC have similar disagreements?
At that same Thursday Oval Office event, the President mentioned that he would likely pull the nomination of Elon Musk’s buddy, Jared Isaacman, to run NASA. That probably didn’t make Elon happy.
Thursday, 1:57 p.m.
Musk asks his followers if there should be a new political party.
Thursday, 2:37 p.m.
Trump threatens Musk’s companies in multiple posts on Truth Social
“Elon was ‘wearing thin,’ I asked him to leave, I took away his EV Mandate that forced everyone to buy Electric Cars that nobody else wanted (that he knew for months I was going to do!), and he just went CRAZY!”
“The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon’s Governmental Subsidies and Contracts. I was always surprised that Biden didn’t do it!”
If I were the President, and I thought I could save the taxpayers billions and billions of dollars by simply terminating a few contracts, I wouldn’t have to think twice. But we know (from the AI analysis shared at the top of this humor article) that President Trump doesn’t always tell the truth. In fact, he seems to rarely tell the truth.
Nevertheless, the spat continued, getting nastier by the minute.
Thursday 3:10 p.m.
Musk alleges that Donald Trump himself appears in the FBI’s ‘Epstein files’ which are yet to be made public. Thousands of unreleased pages relate to the investigation of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his associates.
Friday morning.
Trump fires back in an interview with ABC, saying he’s “not particularly” interested in speaking with Musk.
“You mean the man who has lost his mind?”
Funny thing. That’s the exact phrase — “the man who has lost his mind” — my ex-wife Darlene used during our divorce hearing. Ha ha!
At any rate, the Russians are apparently concerned about Elon’s safety, after former Trump advisor Steve Bannon called for Musk — a South African immigrant — to be deported.
Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, chimed in on X.
“We are ready to facilitate the conclusion of a peace deal between D and E for a reasonable fee and to accept Starlink shares as payment…”
Underrated writer Louis Cannon grew up in the vast American West, although his ex-wife, given the slightest opportunity, will deny that he ever grew up at all. You can read more stories on his Substack account.