During Donald Trump’s first term as U.S. President, many world governments would anxiously wait for his morning social media posts, wondering if he might suddenly change a major policy or insult another country.
Now, years later, diplomats are once again nervous about what might come next from Trump, especially with his recent comments criticizing the UK’s new tax policies for oil and gas companies. BBC reports that Trump called the decision “a big mistake” and urged the UK to stop supporting wind energy and open up the North Sea for more oil drilling.
This could simply be Trump defending a U.S. oil company leaving the UK, but it also raises concerns about whether he plans to interfere more in other countries’ internal decisions.
According to BBC, the situation is different this time because Trump isn’t acting alone—Elon Musk, who has grown very influential, is also voicing strong opinions on social media. Using his platform, X (formerly Twitter), Musk has openly criticized the British government on various issues, from economic management to handling child abuse cases.
Musk recently went further by personally attacking Sir Keir Starmer, the UK’s Prime Minister, accusing him of failing to tackle child grooming when he was in charge of prosecutions. BBC points out that British politicians can’t stop Musk’s comments, but they can control how they respond.
So far, the ruling Conservative Party has engaged with Musk’s concerns, with Kemi Badenoch, the party leader, agreeing that a national inquiry into grooming gangs is overdue. However, they distanced themselves when Musk expressed support for Tommy Robinson, a jailed far-right activist.
Musk had shared posts calling for Robinson’s release, but a senior Conservative official, Alicia Kearns, warned that supporting figures like Robinson was dangerous.
The Labour Party has tried to avoid clashing with Musk, likely because he’s one of the world’s richest men who could potentially fund rival political parties.
According to BBC, Nigel Farage’s Reform Party claims Musk is interested in donating to their campaigns. Still, Labour’s Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, said Musk’s remarks about grooming gangs were wrong and asked him to collaborate with the government on fighting online child abuse.
Musk’s controversial remarks haven’t been limited to the UK. BBC notes that he has insulted several world leaders, calling Germany’s chancellor Olaf Scholz “a fool” and Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau “an insufferable tool.”
Now, politicians worldwide face a tough challenge: figuring out which of Trump and Musk’s social media statements deserve a response and which should be ignored. Some in the UK hope that Lord Mandelson, the new ambassador to the U.S., might help calm tensions.
Others believe Trump’s fondness for the Royal Family could smooth things over, as he recently had a pleasant meeting with Prince William in Paris.
However, as BBC explains, officials are closely watching social media because Trump and Musk’s unpredictable comments could cause more diplomatic problems.
For now, social media diplomacy is back, and the UK is right in the middle of it.
Credit : BBC
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjwl569p57lo