BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 19: U.S. President-elect Donald Trump greets Elon Musk as he arrives to attend a viewing of the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket on November 19, 2024 in Brownsville, Texas. SpaceX’s billionaire owner, Elon Musk, a Trump confidante, has been tapped to lead the new Department of Government Efficiency alongside former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
(Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

‘The puppet of the billionaires’: Trump roasted for neglecting Americans’ needs in favor of $500 billion AI Project Stargate

Eggs are still $9 dollars a carton, but hey, at least President Donald Trump is keeping billionaires happy!

Recommended Videos

The federal unemployment rate is increasing. American citizens are drowning in record-high credit card debt thanks to the aptly-dubbed “inflation nightmare.” Climate change continues to be a very real threat to humanity as we know it, and yet, newly-reinstated President Donald Trump is using his power to back a project literally no one asked for: a $500 billion AI infrastructure called Stargate.

“Oligarchy” is a term that’s been thrown around in online discourse following Inauguration Day, and it doesn’t take much research to understand why. Tech CEOs like Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg know it’s in their best interest of their, ahem, criminal corporations—and bank accounts—to cozy up to Trump, who has promised extensive tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy since day one. In particular, “First Buddy” Elon Musk has been a powerful asset to the Trump administration, having donated at least $277 million to his campaign, per CBS News.

Now, it seems like Musk is getting a return on his investment thanks to a new government initiative, which will see a whopping $500 billion being put towards a new company called Stargate—presumably, a nod to the long-running sci-fi series of the same name. The project will be a collaboration between three tech giants: SoftBank, Oracle, and OpenAI (of which Musk is a co-founder), and will see an initial joint investment of $100 billion, with the rest to follow in the coming years. Predictably, the news has critics lashing out against Trump’s administration, with one user pointing out that—as is the case with many White House going-ons these days—Musk is “the one behind this.”

Interestingly, since Trump’s Stargate announcement on Jan. 21, Musk has cast down on the project’s chances of ever getting off the ground, taking to X (Twitter) to write: “They don’t actually have the money,” later adding, “SoftBank has well under $10B secured. I have that on good authority.” Trouble in paradise? A jealous spat between lovers? It’s hard to say, but given Musk’s ongoing lawsuit against OpenAI, it’s not exactly surprising that he’s bashing Stargate—if his assertions are even true, that is.

Americans don’t want AI. We just want a future

It’s getting increasingly difficult to remain optimistic about where this country is heading. Political extremism aside, AI servers consume massive quantities of valuable resources like water and electricity. AI models’ environmental impact cannot be overstated; according to Earth.org, ChatGPT emits 8.4 tons of carbon dioxide per year, adding fuel to the—literal—fire that is the climate crisis. And with the U.S. having recently exited the Paris Agreement under Trump’s executive order, things are getting dire.

The last, and I stress, the last thing we need is increased AI infrastructure. Groceries are more expensive than ever, access to affordable housing is virtually nonexistent, gun violence is out of control…what about tackling those issues?! Stargate is an insult to American taxpayers, especially those living paycheck to paycheck. This only goes to show that Trump has a vested interest in protecting the 1%—not the common people. And I fear this is a sign of worse things to come.


The Mary Sue is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy