Elon Musk says he wants to help.
On Saturday, the famous entrepreneur tweeted a mild rebuke of a recent executive order signed by President Donald Trump that temporarily blocked immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries before part of the order itself was blocked by a federal judge. On Sunday, Musk tweeted an offer to bring specific complaints about the order to the president.
SEE ALSO:Elon Musk just endorsed Trump’s secretary of state pick, and it makes no senseMusk, a new business advisor to Trump, does have that kind of access.
Tweet may have been deleted
But some of the most lauded responses to Musk's offer voiced speculation about the idea and anger over Musk's willingness to acquiesce to any of the demands made in the order, which threw into doubt the legal status of immigrants from Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Sudan and Somalia.
@elonmusk You really expect people to offer up specific amendments... over Twitter?
— Alternative Dave (@redletterdave) January 29, 2017
@elonmusk @danmoran3 @redletterdave The second you start making concessions on something this morally wrong, you legitimize the policy.
— Hutch (@z0mgItsHutch) January 29, 2017
@elonmusk You don't amend yourself out of a situation like this. It is not a fundamentally good idea with a few minor problems.
— Tom Coates (@tomcoates) January 29, 2017
Musk has recently taken to attempting compromise with the administration, even when a recent compromise seems to grate against some of his deepest beliefs. He recently endorsed Trump's pick for secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, who until recently was the CEO of ExxonMobil, a massive oil and gas company. Historically, Musk has been a clean energy crusader, and in October 2016, he said, "We need to do everything we possibly can to accelerate the transition to sustainable energy."
Such is the awkwardness made public by trying to walk a tightrope between diametrically opposed ideas.
And Musk is hardly the only CEO struggling to pull off a balancing act. Uber CEO Travis Kalanick spent his Sunday trying to douse a public relations inferno after Saturday gave rise to a roaring backlash against his ride-sharing company that stemmed from a "strike-breaking" accusation. Uber continued to service New York City's John F. Kennedy airport on Saturday during an hour-long strike called by the New York Taxi Workers Alliance as a form of protest against Trump's immigration ban. A social campaign around #DeleteUber popped up and took off.
Tweet may have been deleted
Tweet may have been deleted
Tweet may have been deleted
Tweet may have been deleted
Uber's ride-sharing rival, Lyft, also kept up service during the taxi strike, but #DeleteUber gained traction after Uber tweeted about removing surge pricing around JFK International Airport, letting its followers know they were operating at the strike location. Lyft saw an opening and quickly pledged $1 million to the ACLU over the next four years. The ACLU successfully argued for a block on the Trump administration's immigration ban on Saturday night, which was awarded by a federal judge in New York City (though reports suggest not all customs officials are complying with the judge's order).
Kalanick has since tried to ease the outrage of customers. In a statement issued on Saturday, he said the company was working to identify drivers from the seven countries mentioned in the order, and provide them with compensation for the duration of the 90-day ban. Then, in a statement posted to Facebook on Sunday, Kalanick shared what he said was an email he had sent to Uber drivers.
Here’s what Uber will do:- Provide 24/7 legal support for drivers who are trying to get back into the country. Our lawyers and immigration experts will be on call 24/7 to help.- Compensate drivers for their lost earnings. This will help them support their families and put food on the table while they are banned from the US;- Urge the government to reinstate the right of U.S. residents to travel - whatever their country of origin - immediately;- Create a $3 million legal defense fund to help drivers with immigration and translation services.
Kalanick, who is an economic advisor to the president, also said he would urge Trump to reconsider the order in a meeting on Feb. 3.
3/ I'm going to use my position on Pres economic council to stand up for what's right - https://t.co/L6U9LOv3IX
— travis kalanick (@travisk) January 29, 2017
Much like the reaction to Musk's olive branch, most of the retweeted responses to Kalanick's tweet were those expressing skepticism.
@travisk The most impactful way to stand against this racist, sexist, megalomaniac would be to sever ties with him. Stand with the people.
— ΛJ (@alanajoy) January 29, 2017
.@travisk Resign from anything to do with Trump, Travis. Stop being complicit in working with a fascist regime or keep losing customers.
— EricaJoy (@EricaJoy) January 29, 2017
@travisk at this point if sit in a room with Donald Trump you're enabling fascism. #StopPresidentBannon pic.twitter.com/Xd1I8GquoO
— MazelTovCocktail🇺🇸 (@benfightsback) January 29, 2017
We'll see what happens this coming Friday.
TopicsSocial MediaSpaceXTeslaUberDonald TrumpElon Musklyft
(责任编辑：休閑)
You will love/hate Cards Against Humanity's new fortune cookies
Sauron reveals himself in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' finaleSauron reveals himself in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' finale
Consider this your reminder to watch (or re
This German startup wants to be your bank (without being a bank)MashReads Podcast: What makes a good summer read?
Summer is coming to a close and that means one thing -- last-minute vacations! 。SEE ALSO:'Ice Cream B
...[详细]NFL+ streaming service review: Worth the cost or stick to TV?
Maybe "old" folks who resist the streaming evolution are onto something. That’s how my first e
...[详细]'House of the Dragon' episode 8: Viserys' last words to Alicent, explained
Poor, old Viserys.Against all odds, the (very ill, rapidly rotting) King managed to drag himself out
...[详细]‘Armageddon Time’ review: James Gray's white guilt manifesto
Some movies are less than their best intentions. It’s difficult to fully parse writer/director
...[详细]Aly Raisman catches Simone Biles napping on a plane like a champion
Simone Biles is exhausted. She won five medals at the Summer Olympics in Rio, posed for selfies with
...[详细]Twitter employees slam Elon Musk's 'negligent' plan to fire 75 percent of workers
Twitter staff proved to be unwavering in a response to the latest tough talk from the company's perh
...[详细]'Chief Twit' Elon Musk is reportedly starting Twitter layoffs ASAP
Newly minted Twitter owner Elon Musk is following through on his plans to cut jobs at the tech compa
...[详细]'House of the Dragon' episode 8: Viserys' last words to Alicent, explained
Poor, old Viserys.Against all odds, the (very ill, rapidly rotting) King managed to drag himself out
...[详细]Pokémon Go is so big that it has its own VR porn parody now
Behind every great entertainment property there's a cheekily named porn parody. Super Hornio Bros. G
...[详细]Sauron reveals himself in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' finale
Rings of Powerfans, it's time. Sound the alarms, light the beacons, and get your fan theories ready,
...[详细]Aly Raisman catches Simone Biles napping on a plane like a champion
Hearing aids can now be sold over the counter in the U.S.