Spin Cycle: Trump’s Not All Right, Better Investigate Elon Musk

For those who don’t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week’s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.

With just over two weeks to go before the election on November 5, the media talking heads are pulling out all of the stops. Based on what was said across the Sunday morning political talk shows, the two prevailing narratives are simple: there’s something wrong with former President Donald Trump, and entrepreneur Elon Musk is undermining democracy by supporting free speech.

On ABC’s “This Week,” the guests were all about Trump — and after running cover for an obviously-declining President Joe Biden, they suddenly seemed overly concerned about the former president’s age and mental state.

National Review’s Ramesh Ponnuru claimed that Trump’s speeches had showcased him wandering off topic more often than in the past.

“Trump is declining. He is exhibiting less control. He’s always been meandering, but it’s gone to a new level. He’s always had a streak of vulgarity, it’s gone to a new level as well,” he said, arguing that Trump was a “different person” based on a comparison of clips of Trump from the current campaign cycle and from 2016 or even the 1980s. “You see a decline there and it is I think related to age.”

“Trump is declining. He is exhibiting less control. He's always been meandering, but it's gone to a new level … You see a decline there and it is I think related to age,” National Review's @RameshPonnuru tells @MarthaRaddatz. https://t.co/6fHsjUTzJ8 pic.twitter.com/qnB9cLUZDE

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) October 20, 2024

The New Yorker’s Susan Glasser offered a similar analysis, saying that a “noticeable decline” was obvious and that Trump was showing a “lack of discipline.”

“There was a metric that he speaking twice as long at his rallies as he used to, even in his previous campaigns.”

There is a “noticeable decline” in former Pres. Trump’s “ability to communicate” and “lack of discipline," @sbg1 tells @MarthaRaddatz.

“There was a metric that he speaking twice as long at his rallies as he used to, even in his previous campaigns.” https://t.co/Rqtn0aeLfY pic.twitter.com/sulxwOwT8S

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) October 20, 2024

CNN anchor Jake Tapper went down the same path on “State of the Union” with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), pressing him repeatedly to weigh in on behavior he characterized as “unstable.”

Tapper mentioned a recent Pennsylvania rally during which Trump was supposed to be detailing the campaign’s closing argument and told a story about the late golfer Arnold Palmer instead.

“I don’t want to be talking about this. Donald Trump is out there saying it. It is unstable,” Tapper complained.

“But you continue to,” Johnson noted.

“Because you won’t address it!” Tapper protested.

TAPPER: "I don't want to be talking about this. Donald Trump is out there saying it. It is unstable."
JOHNSON: "But you continue to."
TAPPER: "Because you won't address it!"@jaketapper and @SpeakerJohnson spar over Trump’s bizarre Arnold Palmer tangent at a rally. pic.twitter.com/PaqqNuNPAw

— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) October 20, 2024

On NBC News — and on MSNBC as well — the story was all about Musk, his support for Trump, and his plan to give away $1 million every day through Election Day.

Governor Josh Shapiro (D-PA) spoke with “Meet the Press” anchor Kristen Welker about Musk — and he went so far as to say that Musk should be investigated.

Welker set Shapiro up for his response, asking, “You are a former attorney general. Is this legal?”

Shapiro responded by suggesting that Musk’s political action committee was a “dark money” entity and argued that it should certainly be scrutinized.

“That is deeply concerning,” he said. “Look, Musk has a right to be able to express his views. He’s made it very very clear that he supports Donald Trump. I don’t — obviously we have a difference of opinion. I don’t deny him that right. But when you start flowing this kind of money into politics, I think it raises serious questions that folks may want to take a look at … It’s something that law enforcement could take a look at.”

WATCH: Every day until Election Day, Elon Musk says he’ll give $1M to a voter who has signed his super PAC’s petition “in favor of free speech and the right to bear arms.”@JoshShapiroPA: “That is deeply concerning. … It's something that law enforcement could take a look at." pic.twitter.com/2mZY1b5YaL

— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) October 20, 2024

Former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki took a similar tack with Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) on her MSNBC show “Inside with Jen Psaki.”

Newsom argued that Musk was “not the person” he knew in the past and suggested that his association with Trump was what had changed him. He also hinted that it was certainly at least possible that the X owner had some sort of ulterior motive for his plan.

“Look, I’ve known Elon for over 20, 25 years, one of America’s great entrepreneurs and innovators. But this is not the person I knew even two years ago. With respect to Elon, I just don’t have the confidence that there’s other things he’s not up to behind the scenes. Not just again what he’s expressing quite publicly and I’m very concerned about a country where people like Elon Musk, others that are sucking up to Donald Trump that will undoubtably be carved out of regulations, undoubtably get massive, even larger federal contracts. It is an American oligarchy that can be formed here.”

.@GavinNewsom on Elon Musk: “Look, I've known Elon for over 20, 25 years, one of America's great entrepreneurs and innovators. But this is not the person I knew… With respect to Elon, I just don't have the confidence that there's other things he's not up to behind the scenes.” pic.twitter.com/ReOdXmstHt

— Inside with Jen Psaki (@InsideWithPsaki) October 20, 2024