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Evan Osnos: Billionaire influence in politics 'doesn't look a whole lot like democracy' - Velshi - MSNBC
Donald Trump, the president of the United States, is a billionaire. He got elected with the help of Elon Musk, the world’s richest man. Trump then appointed thirteen of his fellow billionaires to his cabinet. The rich are richer than ever, and their influence over politics and society is greater than ever.
Evan Osnos, staff writer for The New Yorker and author of the new book “The Haves and the Have-Yachts: Dispatches on the Ultrarich” says that when billionaires have so much sway, “that doesn’t look a whole lot like democracy.” While Trump and Musk may be at odds now, Osnos notes that Musk’s complaints about Trump sound “like he was complaining about buying a defective product.” Musk’s recent comments, Osnos says, may read to future historians as “the Rosetta Stone of how our democracy got so damaged.” - Aired on 06/08/2025.