Tensions are flaring between two of America's most high-profile figures, former President Donald Trump and billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk. Trump, never one to back down, has hit back sharply, triggering an ongoing war of words that's playing out online in real time. To unpack what this public spat reveals about power, influence, and the state of American politics, is Professor Christopher Isike, Director of the African Centre for the Study of the United States at the University of Pretoria.

<p>Tensions are flaring between two of America's most high-profile figures, former President Donald Trump and billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk. Trump, never one to back down, has hit back sharply, triggering an ongoing war of words that's playing out online in real time. To unpack what this public spat reveals about power, influence, and the state of American politics, is Professor Christopher Isike, Director of the African Centre for the Study of the United States at the University of Pretoria.</p>