I stopped watching Morning Joe months before the election because he obviously loves to hear himself talk while his wife patiently waits and hangs on his every word. During a time when there was so much to be said, he was only able to get 10% out of his mouth due to his grandstanding.
Well put, Julia. I never watched his show because despite having knowledgeable guests that man never shuts up. I don’t know where I saw that segment yesterday but I was stunned at the enabling of such rhetoric supporting law breaking and frightening beliefs against our democracy and the willingness of these two to disregard their constitutional pledge. I knew I’d miss Lawrence O’Donnell but can see him on YouTube and the few others I expected to miss have all come to substacks! It keeps getting better here!
I fear we're relying too much on this platform, and instead should be seeking open source. When that "Substack Reads" essay praised Musk as a free speech advocate, my heart went into my throat, and many others reacted similarly, as why would a Substack editor say something so insane if not to court Musk's favor? Some suspected that actual sale of Substack to Musk at some point.
Even if that never happens, do we really believe Substack would survive if it became a true threat to the current powers? This is the Wild West now...utterly lawlessness rules the day.
Fabulous, Steve. I follow MSNBC and always clapped at Joe Scarborough's passion and tough verbiage. He fell flat on his face with this interview. Why he didn't confront loudly is maddening. He could have argued so much more. Is he capitulating out of fear? I'm disgusted.
He's a Republican, and he thinks like a Republican. He does not belong on MSNBC. MSNBC has many, many qualified guests to take his place. Guests like Ali Vitali, Marc Elias, Neal Katyal, and many, many more. He needs to be replaced.
MSNBC should also get rid of Ari Melber. Oh yes, I like that he's a liberal, but he's always talking about being fair to the other side, even though trump and his cohorts are far from being fair. He should just relate the facts--no need to show how "fair" you are. Trump and Musk laugh at so-called fairness.
You're right Steve. I finally turned my cable back on and decided to tune into Morning Joe yesterday just to check it out and I agree wholeheartedly. I was thoroughly disgusted with Joe's handling of those two Republican guests. Elon and his Tweens?! Brilliant?! Give me a f'in break. What is wrong with these people?!!! He should've called them out and he didn't. Shameful is putting it mildly.
As far as the rest of the rest of the cast of MSNBC goes I can only tolerate a few. Nicolle, Rachel, Chris, Joy and Stephanie and that's about it. The sky is falling (Literally) and I only want Truth-tellers. Like you. As far as Chuck Schumer goes there are no words. He's pitiable. Time for a new Leader to step up. I like you, Adam Kinzinger or Paul Rieckoff. Any of you three would be fantastic!!! Great piece Steve!!! ❤️🇺🇸💙
I don't watch Ari Melber anymore. How an intelligent person--and a lawyer to boot-- could be so enamored with hip-hop is beyond me. He actually calls it music, and even quotes some of their words, as if they're political experts.
Can you compare rap with the music of Rogers & Hammerstein, Cole Porter, Stephen Sondheim, etc., etc., etc., to say nothing of the classics like Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, etc., etc.
And compare rap with the great artists of yesteryear, like Glen Miller, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Linda Ronstadt, Julie Andrews, etc.
And I don't like Ari's discussions: He's always saying things, like "...to be fair," or "trump or the GOP may have a point." (Of course, I'm paraphrasing.) It's always nice to be fair, but when we have an extreme prez and Republican party, it's not the time to be nice.
And I don't like his sometime condescension to his guests (who usually know more than him about the topic at hand.
I think it was because he was outraged about Gaza on his show. It was a mistake to let him go. He’s great and was building a big following. I wish they would get Keith Olbermann back. Try his podcast COUNTDOWN. It’s great.
I'm a fan of those you mentioned, but I think Lawrence O'Donnell is great. He's a writer and a great essayist.
I also like Nicolle Wallace, but she does not fit all the requirements that an anchor should have. The most important one being clarity of speech: That's where she fails--she speaks like she has a marshmallow in her mouth. She often laughs while speaking, so she can't be understood. She also talks over her guests; she's supposed to know, or should have been told, that 2 people cannot speak at the same time in electronic media.
NO, I do not want her fired--she's a good person--her faults are correctible if her superiors take the time to explain the importance of these things.
In reply to your snarky comment, I'll say, YES, my TV does have a knob. But you obviously missed my last sentence, where I complimented her and criticized her superiors. When I watch her--which I often do--I use close captions for the reasons I listed.
Right on Steve. Scarborough has missed the mark again. But it makes sense. He has a template, that pays him a bundle. He does everything the same way- plug it into the template, and he keeps getting paid. No boats rocked. He’s in Palm Beach for the weekend.
If he, and others don’t start rocking their boats- they’ll be without one soon enough. We are headed for a deeper hell than any of us imagined.
The old verve & vitriol that the Scarborough duo used to use for Trump is totally gone now ! He & Mika no longer criticize him like they did before they went to Palm Beach to kiss the ring . It’s so evident in their lukewarm attitude towards him now it’s maddening .
Not one negative word comes from the Scarborough mouths . They “host “ the ones that dare to speak up about the Trump debacle . Any words of distaste come from the guests not from them as if that would save them .
Steve, thanks for posting the excerpt from MSNBC for those of us who cannot stand to watch "Morning Joe". I have only so many hours in the day that I can devote to media coverage, and I stopped spending any of the 6-10AM Eastern time slot on MSNBC when they made the ring-kissing trip to Mar-a-Lardo.
What don't you people get about the word "boycott"? I vowed never to watch MSNBC or other main stream media when they shitcanned Biden in June. Putting their ratings in the toilet, watching their stock drop is the way Resistance WINS! Money is the only thing that talks. Boycott the fucking Superbowl on Sunday and send the complicit NFL, those owners, players and all the fat cats a message. Carlin was right. It's all a big Club and average Americans ain't in it.
I agree with a lot of what you say, except I will not miss a telecast of Rachel or Lawrence. I would add Nicolle--she's a caring and compassionate person-- if they would train her to be a real anchor.
Yes! My spouse shocked me by saying she does not care to watch. That's a sea change - one of her joys is spending time talking football with one of our grandsons who, at 7, has an encyclopedic knowledge of the game. And I recently upgraded our TV, to boot.
Scarborough's gaslighting of his audience re Biden was a fireball offense. ( Even Foxnews dumped Tucker when he went too far. )
Then, after surviving that misstep, Joe S rockets to Mars-a-lago to kiss Dear Leaders ring, ensuring a month or two of safety from Trumps anti-MSNBC/"Morning Joe" ranting. Cowardice, Morning Joe be thy name.
Joe is doing exactly as planned. All the CEO’s of media organizations are going easy on Trump. They’re rational; give him a chance; code for, “he’s bought and paid for by the oligarchs, and this is a hostile takeover, so go along, and it won’t get bloody!”
Joe, on the other hand, is doing what he said he’d do; get access to republicans so he can report. And of course, he has to go along to get along, so he is treating Trump with kid gloves.
Bottom line: Joe is a fraud. He was tough on Biden, did anyone give Biden a chance? A year of the cognitive crap, and those two, patted each other on the back, for a job well done! Bravo, Mika and Joe; you showed the democrats just what a bunch of crack reporters you are. I tip my hat to you, sir!
Has anyone but Trump, tried to overthrow the government and pardon insurrectionists? Destroy decades of scientific research, and is now in the process of dismantling the administrative state; but hey everyone, let’s be fair, and give the MAN some space, because that’s how democracy works!
It’s not like it’s a five alarm, hair on fire moment. It’s not like Trump is about to destroy this country, and we have a republican congress that’s cheering him on while a bunch of “teen-tween” incel, tech bros are gaining access to everyone’s data.
And it’s not like Trump isn’t doing this because the Supreme Court carved out a non-existent immunity clause in the constitution; so he can do just that! And it’s not like he’s going to pardon every criminal who carries out his orders like the Proud Boys, for harassing, and possible killing people! Oh wait, he did that, including the most violent of the bunch. After all, He would never unleash so much pain on anyone, right? Am I right? Crickets!
News Flash: the Pentagon is next. He already decimated our State Department and USAID organizations, while stopping scientific studies in their tracks. That said, thank you MSMBC, and especially Joe and Mika; two extraordinary useless invertebrates, who sold their souls to MAGA Inc., for a single piece of silver, and still have the audacity to live in the state of Denial! IMHO!….:)
Scarborough is becoming an afterthought in political discourse, and his ratings will reflect this. I do not personally know ANYONE who tunes in to Joe and Mika any longer, and that is from a group of friends who used to be faithful daily viewers. The abrupt turn to ring-and-ass kissing by Joe and Mika has exposed their untrustworthiness…in the long term they’ll see that being the voice of quisling TV is a career killer.
Good analysis, Steve! Thank you for always telling us what is happening with your respect & understanding for our history and our Constitution.
Like some of the comments, I can’t watch much on MSnBC- once Scarborough made his capitulation trip to Mara lago, we quite watching. And now today, how dare he not respond to this republicans in a lawful way! You are right, he has broken his vow to support our Constitution. No excuse (hmm - maybe it was a “transactional “ visit?!
Schummers gotta go - he’s an embarrassment to the democrats!
As for Musk & his fucking teens, why was he not arrested early on for trespassing, breaking & entering, hacking etc- and just taken off to jail ?? I don’t get how this is going on for so many days….without concrete response!
Pathetic Schumer and the Impotent Dems had 10 damned weeks to formulate strategy to oppose this & they knew darned well what D & E were going to do. Why the inaction? The right wing/MAGA has zero respect or fear of the Dem leadership or of any consequences Dems push.
Does anyone in power realize the danger we are in right now? Departments are being dismantled and defunded. Our treasury has been turned over to young men with computer skills, but, no context, no oversight, no real understanding of the systems they are changing let alone our history. Cabinet members have little experience or knowledge about the departments they head. Our oldest and strongest military allies and trading partners are being abused, disrespected and threatened simply to sooth the ego of our President.
Our national and international security and law enforcement personnel are being told to resign or retire, leaving a massive dearth of experience in these agencies. USAID has been stopped from providing food and medicine to millions of desperate people globally. Our own CDC & National Institutes of Health have been hacked, removing critical information from websites. Clinical trials are being defunded.
What would we do if another pandemic struck?
What would we do if an adversary attacked us?
We are as helpless as we have ever been in our nearly 250 year history. Ruled by incompetence, ignorance, arrogance and greed, we are in grave danger.
In a million years I’ll never understand why people voted for that dumbass Drumpf. I guess the GOP lost their collective insight into what their fellow Americans respected. It sure ain’t Drumpf, and won’t improve until he’s outta there…sooner rather than later.
I'm a Warren type Dem but I feel even climate change must be placed on back burner in order to save the republic. We all know Schumer & the Dems aren't built to respond to the Russian disinfo technique 'firehose of bullshit'. Add Project 25 & Dems are overwhelmed. Save the most vital institutions. The possibility of a gullible Dem running for Prez in '28 is like a guy running for Mayor in Gaza in '25....
Steve, why aren’t you on corporate media more? You used to be. We need voices like yours that are not behind pay walls. And what does your friend Nicole Wallace think about this excellent post.
I long ago gave up imbibing from Joe's morning cup of crap. The sad truth is Joe can be petty and petulant on rare occasions, but most of the time he's a purring pussycat in the lap of the politically powerful. Maybe, just maybe, he will grow a pair, but don't expect him to do so until after the bulk of MSM has worked up the courage to take on Trump and Musk and Joe deems it safe to pretend to speak truth to power again. Unlike Steve Schmidt, Joe is a follower. I just wish the gutless wonders who run the news programs at CBS, NBC or ABC would give Steve a role to pontificate nightly, no holds barred. But of course that won't happen because we now exist in a frightened news media world, cowed by the powers and threats of Trump and Musk, their money and the lawyers it buys. Surely there must be lawyers who would be happy to work pro bono to defend anyone Trump or Musk sues. I know I would in my youth!
I stopped watching Morning Joe months before the election because he obviously loves to hear himself talk while his wife patiently waits and hangs on his every word. During a time when there was so much to be said, he was only able to get 10% out of his mouth due to his grandstanding.
Well put, Julia. I never watched his show because despite having knowledgeable guests that man never shuts up. I don’t know where I saw that segment yesterday but I was stunned at the enabling of such rhetoric supporting law breaking and frightening beliefs against our democracy and the willingness of these two to disregard their constitutional pledge. I knew I’d miss Lawrence O’Donnell but can see him on YouTube and the few others I expected to miss have all come to substacks! It keeps getting better here!
I fear we're relying too much on this platform, and instead should be seeking open source. When that "Substack Reads" essay praised Musk as a free speech advocate, my heart went into my throat, and many others reacted similarly, as why would a Substack editor say something so insane if not to court Musk's favor? Some suspected that actual sale of Substack to Musk at some point.
Even if that never happens, do we really believe Substack would survive if it became a true threat to the current powers? This is the Wild West now...utterly lawlessness rules the day.
Amen. It was so hard to witness the way he dismissed her and talked over her as a matter of course.
Same here!
Fabulous, Steve. I follow MSNBC and always clapped at Joe Scarborough's passion and tough verbiage. He fell flat on his face with this interview. Why he didn't confront loudly is maddening. He could have argued so much more. Is he capitulating out of fear? I'm disgusted.
He's a Republican, and he thinks like a Republican. He does not belong on MSNBC. MSNBC has many, many qualified guests to take his place. Guests like Ali Vitali, Marc Elias, Neal Katyal, and many, many more. He needs to be replaced.
MSNBC should also get rid of Ari Melber. Oh yes, I like that he's a liberal, but he's always talking about being fair to the other side, even though trump and his cohorts are far from being fair. He should just relate the facts--no need to show how "fair" you are. Trump and Musk laugh at so-called fairness.
He’s afraid of Donald Trump. As simple as that. And he’s prostrated himself. On the daily.
He apparently feels it’s his role. He’s a jerk. And Mika disgraced herself as well. Both too odious for us to entertain watching them.
Truth.
You're right Steve. I finally turned my cable back on and decided to tune into Morning Joe yesterday just to check it out and I agree wholeheartedly. I was thoroughly disgusted with Joe's handling of those two Republican guests. Elon and his Tweens?! Brilliant?! Give me a f'in break. What is wrong with these people?!!! He should've called them out and he didn't. Shameful is putting it mildly.
As far as the rest of the rest of the cast of MSNBC goes I can only tolerate a few. Nicolle, Rachel, Chris, Joy and Stephanie and that's about it. The sky is falling (Literally) and I only want Truth-tellers. Like you. As far as Chuck Schumer goes there are no words. He's pitiable. Time for a new Leader to step up. I like you, Adam Kinzinger or Paul Rieckoff. Any of you three would be fantastic!!! Great piece Steve!!! ❤️🇺🇸💙
Forgot to add Lawrence. How could I forget him?!
Ari is pretty good too, although, I won’t watch any cable anymore: period!
I don't watch Ari Melber anymore. How an intelligent person--and a lawyer to boot-- could be so enamored with hip-hop is beyond me. He actually calls it music, and even quotes some of their words, as if they're political experts.
Can you compare rap with the music of Rogers & Hammerstein, Cole Porter, Stephen Sondheim, etc., etc., etc., to say nothing of the classics like Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, etc., etc.
And compare rap with the great artists of yesteryear, like Glen Miller, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Linda Ronstadt, Julie Andrews, etc.
And I don't like Ari's discussions: He's always saying things, like "...to be fair," or "trump or the GOP may have a point." (Of course, I'm paraphrasing.) It's always nice to be fair, but when we have an extreme prez and Republican party, it's not the time to be nice.
And I don't like his sometime condescension to his guests (who usually know more than him about the topic at hand.
I also like Ayman, and I miss Mehti Hassan on Sundays.
I still don't know why he was let go. He is brilliant.
I think it was because he was outraged about Gaza on his show. It was a mistake to let him go. He’s great and was building a big following. I wish they would get Keith Olbermann back. Try his podcast COUNTDOWN. It’s great.
Yes!! I love Ayman and Mehti and Jasmine too. ❤️
I'm a fan of those you mentioned, but I think Lawrence O'Donnell is great. He's a writer and a great essayist.
I also like Nicolle Wallace, but she does not fit all the requirements that an anchor should have. The most important one being clarity of speech: That's where she fails--she speaks like she has a marshmallow in her mouth. She often laughs while speaking, so she can't be understood. She also talks over her guests; she's supposed to know, or should have been told, that 2 people cannot speak at the same time in electronic media.
NO, I do not want her fired--she's a good person--her faults are correctible if her superiors take the time to explain the importance of these things.
I have always liked Nicole and can’t believe you can go on that long criticizing her. What’s your problem? Your TV doesn’t have a knob?
In reply to your snarky comment, I'll say, YES, my TV does have a knob. But you obviously missed my last sentence, where I complimented her and criticized her superiors. When I watch her--which I often do--I use close captions for the reasons I listed.
Seconded!
Right on Steve. Scarborough has missed the mark again. But it makes sense. He has a template, that pays him a bundle. He does everything the same way- plug it into the template, and he keeps getting paid. No boats rocked. He’s in Palm Beach for the weekend.
If he, and others don’t start rocking their boats- they’ll be without one soon enough. We are headed for a deeper hell than any of us imagined.
Thank you, Steve.
The old verve & vitriol that the Scarborough duo used to use for Trump is totally gone now ! He & Mika no longer criticize him like they did before they went to Palm Beach to kiss the ring . It’s so evident in their lukewarm attitude towards him now it’s maddening .
The Mark of money.
Not one negative word comes from the Scarborough mouths . They “host “ the ones that dare to speak up about the Trump debacle . Any words of distaste come from the guests not from them as if that would save them .
Agreed. Cont watch them at all .
Steve, thanks for posting the excerpt from MSNBC for those of us who cannot stand to watch "Morning Joe". I have only so many hours in the day that I can devote to media coverage, and I stopped spending any of the 6-10AM Eastern time slot on MSNBC when they made the ring-kissing trip to Mar-a-Lardo.
Pretty sad, they used to have a decent show. Not any longer. They made a choice and are sticking to it, no matter how low they go. Drumpers, both.
What don't you people get about the word "boycott"? I vowed never to watch MSNBC or other main stream media when they shitcanned Biden in June. Putting their ratings in the toilet, watching their stock drop is the way Resistance WINS! Money is the only thing that talks. Boycott the fucking Superbowl on Sunday and send the complicit NFL, those owners, players and all the fat cats a message. Carlin was right. It's all a big Club and average Americans ain't in it.
There are worthwhile people you should not boycott like Nicole Wallace, Rachel, and Lawrence.
Yes I forgot to add Lawrence too!!
I agree with a lot of what you say, except I will not miss a telecast of Rachel or Lawrence. I would add Nicolle--she's a caring and compassionate person-- if they would train her to be a real anchor.
Yes! My spouse shocked me by saying she does not care to watch. That's a sea change - one of her joys is spending time talking football with one of our grandsons who, at 7, has an encyclopedic knowledge of the game. And I recently upgraded our TV, to boot.
Scarborough's gaslighting of his audience re Biden was a fireball offense. ( Even Foxnews dumped Tucker when he went too far. )
Then, after surviving that misstep, Joe S rockets to Mars-a-lago to kiss Dear Leaders ring, ensuring a month or two of safety from Trumps anti-MSNBC/"Morning Joe" ranting. Cowardice, Morning Joe be thy name.
I used to be an avid Morning Joe fan. Now I can't stand to hear Joe or Mica's voice
I’ve never watched. I know too much about them personally & it ain’t pretty.
Joe is doing exactly as planned. All the CEO’s of media organizations are going easy on Trump. They’re rational; give him a chance; code for, “he’s bought and paid for by the oligarchs, and this is a hostile takeover, so go along, and it won’t get bloody!”
Joe, on the other hand, is doing what he said he’d do; get access to republicans so he can report. And of course, he has to go along to get along, so he is treating Trump with kid gloves.
Bottom line: Joe is a fraud. He was tough on Biden, did anyone give Biden a chance? A year of the cognitive crap, and those two, patted each other on the back, for a job well done! Bravo, Mika and Joe; you showed the democrats just what a bunch of crack reporters you are. I tip my hat to you, sir!
Has anyone but Trump, tried to overthrow the government and pardon insurrectionists? Destroy decades of scientific research, and is now in the process of dismantling the administrative state; but hey everyone, let’s be fair, and give the MAN some space, because that’s how democracy works!
It’s not like it’s a five alarm, hair on fire moment. It’s not like Trump is about to destroy this country, and we have a republican congress that’s cheering him on while a bunch of “teen-tween” incel, tech bros are gaining access to everyone’s data.
And it’s not like Trump isn’t doing this because the Supreme Court carved out a non-existent immunity clause in the constitution; so he can do just that! And it’s not like he’s going to pardon every criminal who carries out his orders like the Proud Boys, for harassing, and possible killing people! Oh wait, he did that, including the most violent of the bunch. After all, He would never unleash so much pain on anyone, right? Am I right? Crickets!
News Flash: the Pentagon is next. He already decimated our State Department and USAID organizations, while stopping scientific studies in their tracks. That said, thank you MSMBC, and especially Joe and Mika; two extraordinary useless invertebrates, who sold their souls to MAGA Inc., for a single piece of silver, and still have the audacity to live in the state of Denial! IMHO!….:)
🎯🥊🥊👍👍
👺
Scarborough is becoming an afterthought in political discourse, and his ratings will reflect this. I do not personally know ANYONE who tunes in to Joe and Mika any longer, and that is from a group of friends who used to be faithful daily viewers. The abrupt turn to ring-and-ass kissing by Joe and Mika has exposed their untrustworthiness…in the long term they’ll see that being the voice of quisling TV is a career killer.
Good analysis, Steve! Thank you for always telling us what is happening with your respect & understanding for our history and our Constitution.
Like some of the comments, I can’t watch much on MSnBC- once Scarborough made his capitulation trip to Mara lago, we quite watching. And now today, how dare he not respond to this republicans in a lawful way! You are right, he has broken his vow to support our Constitution. No excuse (hmm - maybe it was a “transactional “ visit?!
Schummers gotta go - he’s an embarrassment to the democrats!
As for Musk & his fucking teens, why was he not arrested early on for trespassing, breaking & entering, hacking etc- and just taken off to jail ?? I don’t get how this is going on for so many days….without concrete response!
Pathetic Schumer and the Impotent Dems had 10 damned weeks to formulate strategy to oppose this & they knew darned well what D & E were going to do. Why the inaction? The right wing/MAGA has zero respect or fear of the Dem leadership or of any consequences Dems push.
Does anyone in power realize the danger we are in right now? Departments are being dismantled and defunded. Our treasury has been turned over to young men with computer skills, but, no context, no oversight, no real understanding of the systems they are changing let alone our history. Cabinet members have little experience or knowledge about the departments they head. Our oldest and strongest military allies and trading partners are being abused, disrespected and threatened simply to sooth the ego of our President.
Our national and international security and law enforcement personnel are being told to resign or retire, leaving a massive dearth of experience in these agencies. USAID has been stopped from providing food and medicine to millions of desperate people globally. Our own CDC & National Institutes of Health have been hacked, removing critical information from websites. Clinical trials are being defunded.
What would we do if another pandemic struck?
What would we do if an adversary attacked us?
We are as helpless as we have ever been in our nearly 250 year history. Ruled by incompetence, ignorance, arrogance and greed, we are in grave danger.
In a million years I’ll never understand why people voted for that dumbass Drumpf. I guess the GOP lost their collective insight into what their fellow Americans respected. It sure ain’t Drumpf, and won’t improve until he’s outta there…sooner rather than later.
I'm a Warren type Dem but I feel even climate change must be placed on back burner in order to save the republic. We all know Schumer & the Dems aren't built to respond to the Russian disinfo technique 'firehose of bullshit'. Add Project 25 & Dems are overwhelmed. Save the most vital institutions. The possibility of a gullible Dem running for Prez in '28 is like a guy running for Mayor in Gaza in '25....
I'm glad you watched Morning Joe, Steve, so I don't have to !! Thank You, and will reStack ASAP 🙏💯
Steve, why aren’t you on corporate media more? You used to be. We need voices like yours that are not behind pay walls. And what does your friend Nicole Wallace think about this excellent post.
I long ago gave up imbibing from Joe's morning cup of crap. The sad truth is Joe can be petty and petulant on rare occasions, but most of the time he's a purring pussycat in the lap of the politically powerful. Maybe, just maybe, he will grow a pair, but don't expect him to do so until after the bulk of MSM has worked up the courage to take on Trump and Musk and Joe deems it safe to pretend to speak truth to power again. Unlike Steve Schmidt, Joe is a follower. I just wish the gutless wonders who run the news programs at CBS, NBC or ABC would give Steve a role to pontificate nightly, no holds barred. But of course that won't happen because we now exist in a frightened news media world, cowed by the powers and threats of Trump and Musk, their money and the lawyers it buys. Surely there must be lawyers who would be happy to work pro bono to defend anyone Trump or Musk sues. I know I would in my youth!