After the victory of Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential elections, Elon Musk caught the public's attention again by engaging with the meme culture surrounding this political event. Musk’s meme includes an edited image of himself walking into the Oval Office carrying a sink, a nod to the infamous moment where, in April 2022, he arrived at Twitter HQ with a literal sink. Referencing his infamous sink moment, he captioned the picture with:
“Let that sink in”.
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Context
This revival of the meme occurred when Trump was expected to clinch some battleground states to move closer to gaining the requisite electoral votes to return to the presidency. Musk contributed more than $120 million to Trump’s campaign and actively participated in the election campaign.
His latest meme received significant attention instantly and has millions of views. The words have prompted the hashtag #LetThatSinkIn on social media, especially on platforms such as X (formerly Twitter).
Notable personalities from across disciplines also joined the conversation. The billionaire and investor Mark Cuban congratulated Trump but noted Musk's involvement in the election process. Taking to X, he wrote:
“Congrats @realDonaldTrump You won fair and square. Congrats to @elonmusk as well. #Godspeed.”
Likewise, Naval Ravikant, an angel investor, shared his views on how Trump influenced the US, saying:
"Congratulations to @realDonaldTrump and @JDVance. Special thanks to @elonmusk "
Trump's victory and Musk's support
Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election against his opponent, Kamala Harris. On November 6, 2024, Trump won consequential verdicts in the swing states of Pennsylvania, Georgia, and North Carolina, drastically increasing his electoral votes.
During the election cycle, Elon Musk has been one of Trump’s most vocal supporters. His support has also entailed generous funding, which is said to have provided more than $120 million to Trump’s political action committee, and campaigning. The involvement has, however, been prudent on social media, mainly X (formerly Twitter), having a large following base that Musk actively campaigned for Trump’s candidacy.
Musk announced Trump as the winner before any official announcements were made, writing:
"Game, set and match" to his 203 million followers.
He stressed that the American electorate gave Trump a "crystal clear mandate for change" during this election period.
The SpaceX founder is speculated to be the prime beneficiary as Donald Trump retains his position as the President of the United States regarding prospects and friendly policy frameworks.
According to NBC News, Trump has promised to bring deregulation, which might help Musk run his enterprises without the inhibitive regulations that accompany federal regulation. This is particularly true in Tesla, SpaceX, and other organizations needing federal approvals and subsidies.
Relaxed rules on EVs and autonomous driving could also be considered, which are imperative for Tesla Corporation to expand. There are also signs that Musk would support a less bureaucratic approach to the approval of self-driving cars at the federal level.
According to Business Insider, SpaceX could win wider contracts with the Department of Defense in a second Trump term, given the string of innovations it has unveiled in the space sector. This could lock in SpaceX's specific cost advantage against rivals such as Blue Origin.
Trump has suggested he might place Musk in a position where the latter can push for policies that would benefit his companies. For instance, this position could help the organization access government contracts or grants.
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