Longtime Donald Trump ally Steve Bannon challenged tech billionaire Elon Musk to a no-holds-barred debate at the next Conservative Political Action Conference, during a conversation on his "War Room" show with CPAC's long-controversial director Matt Schlapp.
Bannon and Musk represent a fracture in Trump's coalition, which has only grown worse as Musk has asserted that Trump's administration must allow for high-skilled immigration to fill tech jobs, triggering outrage from pro-Trump nativists with anti-immigrant views, including with Indian workers. A month ago, Bannon called Musk a "truly evil person" trying to sell out the MAGA agenda when it conflicts with his business interests.
"We air all grievances at CPAC ... let's talk about it and get it on the stage," said Schlapp. "I really want the Elon Musk/Steve Bannon debate, but I haven't been able to pull that together yet, but I think that could be a — that could be one for the ages, Steve. What do you think?"
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"I'm all in, 1,000 percent," said Bannon. "You pull it off, I'm good, let's roll. Let's roll. But that — there's nothing to debate. I think Elon would admit he's wrong and I'm right, but that's okay."
Bannon, who has frequently called for the dismantling of the federal civil service, added that he respects Musk's "Department of Government Efficiency" escapades, calling it "an armor-piercing shell" for just that purpose.
"But I'm the one saying, Elon, you got to get across the river if we're to have any cuts — Matt, you know, you've struggled for this for 15 years — if we're to have any cuts, it's going to have to be somebody like Elon that goes to the Pentagon and says, these are the programs we can take down, and once we get the Pentagon sorted you can get the social programs."
"By the way, I think it'd be amazing if not to get a DOGE update from some of his guys," said Bannon. "I think it would be incredible. That'd be a global media event. They would all — they would melt down if DOGE took the stage."
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