For several days last week, the news was dominated by what seems to be an open and serious break between MAGA fascist Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Musk is the world’s richest man, the biggest financial backer of Trump during the election, and the possessor of numerous government contracts, especially in the realm of space travel. He had until recently headed DOGE (the so-called “Department of Governmental Efficiency”) and had been like a sidekick for a while with Trump. His fascist sentiments were also clear—including with his Nazi-style salute at one of Trump’s inauguration celebrations. So for many, the overnight, public and bitter breakup was a shock.

Musk started with an attack on Trump’s “one big beautiful bill”—Trump’s massive congressional budget bill that would cut taxes (especially on the very wealthy), slash programs like Medicaid and food stamps to the bone, and radically boost military spending. The bill would also not just cut but attempt to starve out government subsidies for solar power, on which Musk bases his most profitable property, Tesla. Musk attacked the bill as a “disgusting abomination.” Before the day was out the two were trading vicious attacks, with Musk saying that he was responsible for Trump's election win and Trump threatening to cancel all of Musk’s lucrative government contracts. Steve Bannon, one of the chief “theoreticians” of the MAGA movement, then attacked Musk as an “illegal alien” (Musk emigrated from South Africa and became an American citizen) and said he should be deported.

The conflict reflects clashing interests and contending views—in other words, real contradictions—within the fractious fascist faction that is MAGA. These clashes seem to take in the important areas of economic policy, immigration, the U.S. strategy towards its chief imperialist rival China, and military policy (Musk had persuaded Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to allow him to “sit in” on an official Pentagon strategy session on China until Trump nixed it).

It’s worth noting that this is not the only recent clash in the fascist camp. Less than two weeks ago, Trump attacked Leonard Leo, co-chairman of the “conservative” legal organization the Federalist Society. Leo had advised Trump on his picks for judgeships in his first term, including all three of Trump’s Supreme Court appointments. The result was a thoroughly fascist Supreme Court that overturned the right to abortion and awarded Trump a lifetime get-out-of-jail-free card with its ruling on presidential immunity last June. But because some of those Federalist Society judges have opposed Trump on some things, and because Trump wants to turn the judiciary into an outright and open tool of Trump fascism, Trump now attacks Leo as part of his overall campaign to fully put the judiciary under Trump’s personal thumb.

Under Trump 1.0, these kinds of splits and divides led too many to let their guard down about the danger of Trump fascism—downplaying the danger. “The Trump regime is just inept,” “a clown car,” or “just fighting amongst themselves.” And in this round, people have stood on the sidelines with memes and jokes about how "the boys are fighting."

This is the wrong lesson. Clashes like these are serious. And they need to be recognized not as the regime imploding by itself, but as potential cracks to weaken the overall fascist juggernaut. They can make the Trump/MAGA fascist state more politically vulnerable to challenges, and that’s very important. But that potential needs to be realized—not by standing on the sidelines passively watching—but through intensified struggle—mass determined, non-violent protest by all those who recognize the life-or-death threat posed by this fascism, raising the demand: The Trump Fascist Regime Must Go NOW! 

The revolutionary leader Bob Avakian spoke to the back-and-forth dynamics between the dominant institutions of this society and the needed mass mobilization from below:

This massive mobilization could have a major impact on the dominant institutions of the country, with the possibility of creating conditions that could cause major shifts and “realignments” among them. This is one way in which the Trump fascist regime could be removed from power. But, one way or the other, this regime must go—and non-violent but determined, sustained and growing mass mobilization needs to be built, as the bedrock force to bring about this crucial and urgent objective, as soon as possible, before it really is too late.

In The Name of Humanity, We Refuse To Accept A Fascist America!

The Trump Fascist Regime Must Go—NOW!